Power of the Ox
by soulmaker
Summary: Everyone assumed that it was Gohan's Saiyan heritage that allowed him to be so strong. But no one remembers that Gohan is a descendant of the Ox family. There's a reason the Ox-king rules a kingdom, a reason that Chi-Chi is stronger than the average woman. A reason for Gohan to have such unyielding power. A bit AU but not really an OP Gohan.
1. Chapter 1

It was a beautiful summer day on Mount Paozu. The lingering effects of winter were long gone, giving way to blooming flowers and trees of the spring. Now the sun seemed to shine longer and brighter, with a nice mountain breeze to keep the occupants cool. It was on such a fine day that we find the Son family, joined by the Ox-king, as they go about their daily routine.

Goku was taking some time to train, going through his katas with fluid, unbroken motions before he began a series of complex maneuvers against imaginary opponents. He knew that Piccolo was still out there likely plotting his next move, and he would have to make sure that he's prepared for such an encounter. The last fight was much too close for comfort, especially with the fate of the Earth hanging in the balance, so he made sure to keep pushing himself to the limit when he could.

Chi Chi was sitting next to her father a few yards away, taking full advantage of his massive shadow to keep herself cool. They'd been discussing her father's kingdom and the challenges he and her mother had been facing recently. Occasionally she'd turn her attention to Gohan, who was chasing leaves in the breeze, just to make sure he didn't wander too far or too close to Goku.

"So, without you there to take the throne, your mother and If have decided that the monarchy of the Ox-family is to be transformed into a republic. We're still independent from the rest of the nations, but we expect to keep the same accord with King Furry. Problem is getting everyone on board."

"What do you mean daddy? Shouldn't they be happy that they'll have a voice in how their country is ran?"

"You'd think so, but there are an overwhelming number of Conservatives who still prefer to defer all major decision making to a King or Queen. Our family has ruled that area for as long as anyone could remember. I suppose in some naïve way that the people who choose to stay under the Ox family thought that it would last forever."

Chi-chi frowned, "I can't say I blame them. Until I met Goku, I had no intention of leaving the kingdom. But once we were married, I realized that he had no intention of being a King. I've thought about just having him named King regardless so that we can continue the tradition, but once I had Gohan…"

Ox King nodded, "We understand. I remember how hard it was on you growing up a princess in a country where everyone walked on eggshells around you. That was a chaotic time for us, with the castle being on fire, and your mother on her world peace tour against the Red Ribbon army. You're doing your best for your family, and we're proud of you for that."

Chi Chi couldn't help but feel pleased as she leaned onto her father, "Thanks daddy." Turning her attention back to her son, Chi-Chi found the toddler chasing a small squirrel with glee as it scurried towards a tree. The rodent had no trouble evading the clumsy attempts before latching onto a tree and climbing out of reach, leaving Gohan to cry after it as he could not do the same.

The boy tried to climb, his arms failing to get him very fare as he managed to get up a bit before falling onto his bottom and causing him to cry in frustration, "Waaaaahhhhhhhhhh"

Chi Chi called out to her son in an attempt to sooth him, "Its ok Gohan, come to mommy!" Her voice didn't seem to have the desired effect, as instead the boy continued to cry as he started pressing against the tree. She tried a few more times, but when it became apparent that he was not going to budge on his own the mother moved to collect her child. She was stopped by her husband who had gently, yet firmly placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Goku, what are you—"

"Just hold on a bit, Gohan's about to do it again."

A frown crossed over her face. Goku had told her about two weeks ago that Gohan had used an incredible power when playing outside. One that left quite a hole in one of the thicker trees, but not a bruise on Gohan. Chi-Chi was focused on how he was put into the situation in the first place, so she wasn't really paying attention to the power, but now her eyes were wide as she witnessed something amazing.

Gohan, no longer wailing, was still pushing onto the tree with his hands with grunts of effort. Normally this would have been mundane, but she started to hear a snapping sound as the roots of the tree began to come up as the tree was forced to tip from some great strength. "Yaahhh!" Gohan gave one more push and soon the tree was in free fall, slamming onto the ground with a mighty boom that once again but Gohan on his backside and caused Chi-Chi to stumble.

Gohan seemed a bit confused at how he ended up on the ground, but seeing his mom looking at him, he smiled before clumsily bumbling over to her and hugging her legs.

Needless to say, Goku was estatic, "I told you Chi-Chi, Gohan is really strong! If I trained him he could even become stronger than me!"

Chi Chi flared his nostrils as she felt heat raise in her chest, "Absolutely not! Gohan doesn't need to grow up like either of us as a fighter. I told you already, don't want him getting involved with fights like you had with Piccolo. He's smart, he could be a great scholar and a respectable member of society."

Goku sighed, he'd had this conversation many different times but all with the same result. He was about to try again, but the Ox King beat him to it.

"I don't think that'll be possible Chi-Chi."

To say she was taken back was an understatement, "Daddy, what do you mean?"

The Ox King grinned as he approached Gohan and lifted him up, much to the child's delight, "Well that was Ox-power, a true sign of our royal blood in his veins."

Chi-Chi raised a brow, "That was Ox power? I didn't start to develop that until I was much older, and even then it never made me that strong."

"True, but you didn't really develop yours after training to fight in the World Martial arts tournament nearly three years ago. Gohan here seems to have it in spades just like my dad did."

Needless to say, Goku was confused, "Ox power? What kind of technique is that?"

Chi Chi was quick to fill him in, "I told you about it briefly a while ago remember? It's part of our inheritance, and the main reason our family was made rulers of the country. Our history tells us that back before the nations untied to come under one banner, every worthy monarch had an ability blessed to them by the old god. They were the peacekeepers, used to fight back the demons whose word hadn't separated from ours yet, but once the demons were banished, they became kings and queens. Our family is one of the few left that can still access that power. All the rest have vanished, either due to their line ending, or the power weakening to a point that it is no longer recognizable."

"Aw man, I'll bet those guys had some great fighting techniques. So, you guys have it too?"

Ox King just laughed as he continued to play with Gohan, "Well it comes about in a few ways. Ox body is easy to spot. We'll grow much larger and faster than other humans, just like I did, and we'll live longer than most as well."

"Ox Power though, is…hmm, I suppose it is just a more potent Ki. At least, that's as close as I can describe it to anything that you've seen. Ox power can cause dramatic increases of our physical feats, but it also effects our personalities as well. Shy and quite people can become fearless and proud. Why, you went through similar changes when you were a child Chi-Chi."

At that, the princess looked surprised, "I did? When?"

"All the time! When you were out among the subjects, you were so shy and cute, everyone loved you. But they also knew you had a bit of a temper. One time you took down a full-grown T-rex because it was scaring some cows that you were playing around with."

"I-I did? I remember the farmers thanking me for being there that day, and the dead dino, but I don't remember being the one to kill it."

"Oh, that's normal. At first Ox power can only be used instinctively, like when you're in a dangerous or stressful situation. My grandfather told me stories of my father's tantrums when he was a child, they never really remember any of them before puberty. But it can be trained! And once you're in control of Ox power, it can be accessed at any time!"

For a moment, Chi Chi and Goku watched as Gohan played with the Ox King. Both were digesting what they heard about Ox power. Both reached different conclusions.

Chi Chi was the first to speak, "We'll have to make sure he doesn't have a reason to use that power. I'm sure we can keep him safe and talk with him about it when he's older."

Goku didn't think that ideal, "Aw come on Chi Chi, you should let me train Gohan. We don't know what the future holds, and who knows, we might need his strength to help save the world."

"Absolutely not! My baby doesn't need to do anything to save the world and I won't let you put those ideas in his head. Fighting does not have to be everything!"

"But Chi-Chi I'm not asking it to be everything." He paused and grabbed her gently by the shoulders, "You remember how close I was to losing to King Piccolo, and how close Junior came besting me as well. I'm always going to do my best to face down any challenger, but one day there could be someone stronger than me—"

"There isn't anyone! You beat everyone and anyone who came to challenge you, Piccolo included!"

"I know Chi Chi, but who is to say that there won't be more? There are all kinds of fighters out there Chi Chi, and I can't always be there. What if Gohan needs to defend himself when he's going to school, or if there is someone that he cares about in trouble? Don't you want him to be able to take action?"

"There's a difference between defending himself and being a fighting fiend like you! You were awesome a child Goku, but as a mother I remember your exploits and I would never want that type of lifestyle for our son. If you train him, he'll probably be just like you, running of to face whatever threat comes up just because he can."

Goku smiled, "Well we can't know that yet. He can still study, just because I don't doesn't mean I don't think it's important. You can still have him study, it doesn't have to be all about fighting."

Chi Chi growled before finally relenting, "Ok Goku, you can train Gohan but only on the weekends! For the rest of the week he's going to study and live like a normal child, understood?"

"Alright! I'll take it for now. He's still small, but I can train him like grandpa trained me so that he won't be overworked."

"If you don't mind, I'll want to help too." Ox king brought the couples attention back to him, where they say a now tired Gohan curled up in his grandfather's arms on the verge of sleep. "I'll bring back some of the scrolls we have on bringing out Ox power. It's passed down from generation to generation, heck its technically his by birthright."

"Alright that's enough talk of my baby fighting. Hand him here dad, I'll put him to bed and get lunch started."

The sleeping toddler was transferred to his mother's arms without a care in the world. Having no idea that soon, his life would change forever.


	2. Chapter 2

Gohan awoke with a start, coughing and gagging as he attempted to get the water out of his mouth. He looked around unable in a slight panic, he didn't recognize his surroundings, and he wasn't sure how he even got there. The last thing he remembered was being captured by a man claiming to be his uncle, but then he was shoved into a space pod and that was it. Now he was ankle deep in water, clothes soaked through, confused and hungry. "Good, you're awake." With a strange man standing over him. This was not going to be a good day.

Turning, Gohan found a tall green man with a white turban and cape standing over him with a scowl on his face. Gohan did what every four-year-old boy does when they're in an unfamiliar situation, "Wh-where's my dad?"

The green man smirked, "Sorry to tell you this, but your dads dead."

"Wh-what!? D-daddy's gone?" Soon tears began to gather in his eyes before finally building up to the point of flat out sobbing, "Waaaah Daddy~~"

The green man's smirk quickly fell away to the scowl, "QUIET! You'll stop that noise or you'll join him in death!"

Gohan felt his cries fall away as he stared at the man in fear, "W-why am I here? Why didn't my dad's friends take me to my mom?"

"Because I wouldn't let them."

"What? Who are you and why won't you let me go home?"

"I'm sure you've heard my name, especially from that father of yours. I'm his sworn enemy, Piccolo."

The toddler sucked in some air before he waddled through the water and back on solid ground. Once he feet were under him, he looked down and made sure to spread them apart, before bending his knees and adjusting his position until he was in a battle stance familiar to what his father had shown him. With determined eyes, he looked at the junior emperor, "Y-you're Piccolo?! M-my dad says that you're trying to take over the Earth. Well I won't let you!"

Piccolo couldn't help it, he actually smirked as he began to advance on the kid, "So, your father was training you after all? Well, show me what you've got." He doubted the boy could do anything serious, he was shaking like a leaf, either from the cold or fear the demon couldn't tell. But there was a look of determination in his eyes, something that every fighter worth their salt could muster, 'Well, maybe this won't be so hard.'

"Make a move, brat."

Gohan sprang into action. With a yell, he advanced on the green giant with as swiftly as he could with a barrage of punches flying as he closed in. The result was one angry four-year-old, throwing what looked like a temper tantrum at the feet of one very annoyed babysitter. 'Figures. That fool probably isn't even hard enough to really spar with his brat.' He had no such reservations. Grabbing the boy by the scruff of his neck, he punched him right in the stomach before throwing him mercilessly to the ground where he groaned and gasped in pain.

"What the hell was that? You really expect to beat anyone with such pathetic strength?"

Gohan didn't answer. Instead he began to weep as he lay on the ground, the gravity of his situation finally weighing down on him. Piccolo snared, "I thought I told you to shut up! What good will come from crying?!"

The boy piped down, but his whine persisted, "My dad's dead, and now I'm all alone with a monster I can't beat. What am I supposed to do?"

"Well for one you can forget about your dad being dead. No doubt his friends will gather the Dragon Balls to wish him back to life."

"R-really? So, he's not gone forever?"

"Don't make me repeat myself. He'll probably be back in about a year or so."

The boy couldn't keep the smile off his face as the pain in his body lessened with the good news. He was sitting up and looking at his assailant with wide eyes, "S-so are you going to let me go home?"

"Pft, fool boy. If I was going to let you go home I wouldn't have bothered snatching you up in the first place."

"B-but what do you want from me? I'm just a little kid."

"You're right about being a brat, but you have a strong power inside of you, one that you used to help us defeat the man who kidnapped you."

Gohan looked confused, "I did? But I haven't managed to use my Ox power yet. Grandpa said it could take a long time and a lot of training before I could control it."

"Ox power?"

Gohan nodded, "Yeah. Grandpa said that everyone in the Ox family had a power carried by our blood. Ox power is mine, and it's supposed to make me stronger, but I don't know how to use it."

Piccolo was losing patience with the boy. Ox power? "Whatever you want to call it, this power allowed you to deal decisive blow against an enemy that even myself and your father struggled against."

"But why? I mean he's already dead, why do I need to get stronger?"

"Because in a year, two more Saiyans are going to arrive and destroy us all! You're father and his pathetic friends are preparing for that day, and I'm going to make you ready as well. Chances are we're going to need all the power we can get if we want to survive."

Gohan felt his throat contract, him fighting? He knew what his mother would say, she was very vocal about him never having to fight like his father. The toddler didn't think Piccolo would care what his mother had to think about it, so he said nothing.

Taking off the wet over-shirt, Gohan rang it out a few times to dry it faster, "Then you'll be training me, Mr. Piccolo.? What about the scrolls for my Ox power?"

The Namekian almost rolled his eyes, "Whatever 'Ox power' you have inside you, my training will be enough to pull it out of you."

Gohan frowned, the shirt was much to damp to be of much use right now, "When do we start, Mr. Piccolo?"

Glaring down at the boy, he threw a punch unexpectedly to test him. To his surprise, the child crossed his arms and blocked it, but he still ended up on his but from the force of it. 'Well, it looks like he knows a few things. Doesn't look like he's learned how to use his energy at all, I'll have to fix that.'

Gohan managed to get back to his feet and resumed his stance, "That was a cheap shot, I wasn't ready!"

"Your enemy isn't going to care if you're ready and neither will I! Now don't move," Pointing a finger towards the boy, Piccolo released his energy from his fingertip and used it to alter the boy's appearance. Now he was wearing a dogi like his father's but instead of it being the Turtle school, the symbol was his own for Demon. There was also a sword strapped to his back, and room for his tail to poke through.

"Hey, my clothes are dry now, thanks Mr. Piccolo."

"It'll be the last thing you get from me without having to work for it. Now take a seat, we've got a year to get you into shape and I'm not about to slack on my own training just to catch you up. Now, tell me what you know about Ki."

Earth's Special Forces were all training vigorously for the approaching threat. Goku through the actions of Kami, was given a rare opportunity to train under King Kai, a deity from otherworld that was said to be a great martial arts master. But before he could move to train with the master, he had to first conquer Snakeway, a trail that only on man had completed before him. While the way was long, he knew that the fate of the Earth and his family likely rested on his shoulders. That alone, was enough for him to push on.

Meanwhile Yamcha, Tien, Krillen, Chaiotzu, and Yajirobe were gathered by Kami to train with him on the lookout. With his mystical power and artifacts, the group could experience death battles with countless phantoms of the past with radical power at no real danger to themselves. The terrain they found themselves was unlike anything they'd ever encountered before, pushing their body and mind to the limit as they tried to survive both the landscape and the enemy.

All the while, Chi-Chi alongside Bulma, Puar, Oolong, and Master Roshi, moved to gather the Dragon Balls so that they were prepared to resurrect Goku when the time came.

With so much to do day in and day out, six months had passed in the blink of an eye.

Gohan yelled as he released his technique, the gathered ki exploding outward in a raging beam of yellow that left a small mountain as nothing more than a bunch of pebbles scattered about. He was tired but satisfied, the boy had finally learned Mr. Piccolo's technique. The Masenko the first and only finishing technique in his arsenal, and he was happy to have it. Gohan had just enough time to wipe his brow, before he was forced to evacuate the space he was in less he eat a kick to the back of the head.

Faster than the human eye could see, Gohan exchanged blows with his attacker, weaving around in an attempt to gain the upper hand. The two were in a deadlock, each one avoiding or blocking the blows of the other until Gohan managed to slip past a punch and land a series of blows into the torso of Piccolo before plowing into him with a kick that sent him flying back.

Gohan smiled, "Ha got you Mr Pi-uwaahh"

While he was talking Piccolo had been in motion, appearing before the child before planting a kick of his own into his abdomen bringing him to the ground.

"What have I told you about gloating brat!? Don't drop your guard until you're sure your opponent is finished!"

Gohan groaned as he sat up, but he still had a weak smile on his face, "Sorry, Mr. Piccolo. I was just so excited to finally land a hit on you."

Piccolo smirked, "Don't get cocky brat. Now that I know a few good hits won't break you, I'll really start pouring it on."

The green giant had to admit, the brat was making good progress, especially considering his age. The boy was already stronger than Goku and himself had been when they fought in the World Martial Arts tournament, and he expected his strength to grow a lot more in the next six months. A small part of him was proud, he was responsible for the boy's growth and development. For the first time in his life his actions were deliberately helping another person. Sure, he was making the boy stronger so that he could help defend the Earth and his life, but there was still something special about the Master student bond that had formed between them.

He frowned at his thoughts, spitting out the foul taste before he turned his attention back to Gohan, "It's time to meditate. Remember, you're focusing on your energy and drawing it out. The more familiar you are with your energy—"

"The more effectively I'll be able to use it in battle!" Gohan smiled as he finished his teachers sentence.

"…Right. No need for me to show you anymore, so get to it!" He hated how the kid was able to shrug of his yells with nothing more than a laugh. He was Piccolo, son of the Demon King whose name caused terror to all those who heard it! There was no way any child, especially the child of his most hated enemy should find comfort in such a name.

Gohan sat with his legs crossed and closed his eyes, just like Piccolo had taught him. At first, Gohan hated meditating, he usually just fell asleep, or got bored. But after a few months he'd made some progress with feeling his ki. Now when the toddler closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, he would find himself surrounded by water.

It was a strange sensation to say the least. He was surrounded by liquid, but he could still feel his chest raising and falling along with this breathing. Gohan had no choice but to assume that this was all in his head. When he first arrived, he could barely move, the water was heavy and swimming through it took a lot of effort. But the more he practiced, the easier it became to move around, and the easier it was for him to utilize his ki.

As he swam around, he found that he was in a room about the size of his bedroom. It was nothing big, and he could cross it rather easily from pushing off the walls. It was because of the small size, that he knew that the room was getting bigger.

It wasn't noticeable at first, maybe each day the walls just got a little farther away. But after a month of practice, he found that he couldn't kick off from one wall and reached the other, at least not without effort. During this time, he also found that there was no ceiling to this room. Above him was darkness and nothing else. The few times he tried to swim upward, he found that the water ran out and once he broke the surface he always arrived back in the present, staring at whatever was in front of him.

Whatever lay beyond the surface, he didn't really give it much thought. Instead he focused on expanding the room and moving about. That is, until he found the door. Somewhere along the line, it appeared but whenever Gohan tried to open the door it simply would not budge. Piccolo could not help him, he had no idea what a door represented or that it actually meant anything at all. Gohan wasn't sure what was on the other side, yet he was hoping that it was the Ox power that he was supposed to have access to.

Now the boy was swimming around, performing all sorts of underwater maneuvers before finally settling before the door. He gripped the nob firmly with both hands, and began to push on the door for all he was worth. Time passed, and then some more. And then, even later, the door remained in place. But then, out of nowhere, came a small budge of motion from the door. Then everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Piccolo panted from fatigue, his body riddled with superficial injuries and bruises. Across from him struggling to stand, was Gohan. The toddler was also bruised and beaten, but he was radiating power just like he had done against Raditz. With that power came a loss of consciousness so to speak. The boy was awake, but he wasn't himself. He was unspeakably mad, muttering about making Piccolo pay for what he'd done, yet he didn't respond to his name, _'He's just like a feral animal. No logic or reasoning is going to get through, I'll just have to put him down to snap him out of it.'_

The only problem with that, is that the newfound power made the boy much more formidable. He was now stronger and faster, to the point where Piccolo couldn't just overwhelm him with superior abilities. Instead, Piccolo was exploiting the holes the toddlers style. While Gohan was still using what he'd learned from Piccolo and his father, he was overly aggressive and that made him sloppy. Now he was back on his feet, "You'll pay for that! I won't let you hurt anyone else ever again!"

"I don't know what you're referring to kid, but I'm not your enemy." His words fell on deaf ears. Gohan responded with an attack, his figure blurring from view at the speed of his movement. Piccolo didn't match his speed, but he was skilled enough to avoid the haymaker to his head and counter with an elbow to the gut followed by another punch to slam him into the ground.

He didn't have time to check if the boy was down for good, as the boy bounced from the ground and launched his entire body towards his mentor in an attempt to headbutt him. The move failed with Piccolo's dodging ability in play, but then his figure blurred again, reappearing behind the green giant and kicking him hard in the middle of his back.

"Arrrgh!" Piccolo couldn't shake off the blow and soon Gohan was all over him, knocking him around with a vicious assault that ended with Piccolo smashing through a mountain. He was struggling to move from the crater that formed around him, when Gohan arrived, "Its over! I'm going to make sure that you'll never be able to hurt anyone else!"

Piccolo was snarling at the boy, this was not looking good. Gohan didn't bother with blasts, he leapt at the downed opponent fully intending to kill him. Piccolo didn't have such reservations. Extending his hand, he poured all the remaining energy he had into a single blast directed towards his airborne opponent, "Destructive Wave!"

The blast completely engulfed the charging boy, exploding on contact and erecting a field of smoke before him. He didn't need to see Gohan's body, he could tell he was alive by his power level, which was falling like a stone. At first, he was afraid he'd actually killed him, but then his power tapered out and held, so he knew the boy was still among the living.

Piccolo had to take five minutes to gather his strength to get out of the crater. It was another ten before he finally reached Gohan. The boy's clothes were nearly gone, only his pants remained and they were tattered from the fight. He didn't look seriously injured, just asleep from the exchange, but he'd feel it in the morning of that Piccolo was sure.

' _That power, where is it hiding? He's never once displayed that kind of power during our training, so what caused it to emerge?_ ' The Namekian frowned, was it possible that this was the Ox power the boy had mentioned? _'He said something about a door when he was meditating. I'll have to look into it when he wakes up. If we can harness that power, those Saiyans won't know what hit them.'_

Piccolo winced from a spasm that went through him, he was still reeling from that last exchange. _'Better take care of myself for now.'_ Putting off his investigation and pondering, Piccolo moved to take the boy and himself back to the campsite.

Gohan awoke to two things, pain and more pain. He was accustomed to waking up sore from training activities, but today he found everything was tender and sore, "Owwwwiee why does everything hurt…" It even hurt to breath!

He heard Piccolo's voice from somewhere to his left, "Bout time you woke up. Guess it can't be helped, I did have to make sure you stayed down."

"Ugghh what? What happened?"

"You tell me. We were meditating before I felt your energy increase dramatically. The next thing I knew you were attacking me with the intent to kill. I had to put you down multiple times before you finally lost consciousness."

Gohan groaned, "I haven't felt this bad since the first month of training." He didn't speak for a while, trying instead to gather the power to move. He failed, naturally. Unable to move and in pain, Gohan began to drift off to sleep when Piccolo's voice rang out again.

"Focus, brat! What happened to you while you were meditating?"

The boy stifled a yawn before answering, his eyes drooping, "I was pushing on the door. I wanted to know what was behind it."

"And?"

"I felt it budge…just a little bit. It took a long time, but when it did move everything went dark. I felt like I was still underwater, instead of just being at peace, it was like a whirlpool. I couldn't break from the current and every time I tried to swim out I just got pulled back in."

Piccolo said nothing as he contemplated the news, allowing Gohan to fall asleep without any more disturbance. He moved the boy into the shade and resumed meditating, _'Whatever this power is, he can't control it. If he uses it against the enemy then great, but I don't think I'll be able to keep ahead of him for long with that kind of power.'_

Scowling, he pondered his problem as well as a way to increase the yield from his own training.

Goku felt his voice more than he heard it as he yelled into the heavens. His body was under a great strain, his ki flowing wildly through him as he achieved a new level of power. The Kaioken, a technique created by King kai and until now the sole user. It granted the user an unbelievable amount of power, allowing them to bypass their limit if just for a moment.

Now he had mastered the first form and was currently working on double Kaioken, the second level of the technique that granted an even bigger boost. But even in death his body fatigued, so now he was resting on the grass of the tiny planet, staring at the ever-expanding clouds.

"Lunch will be ready soon, Goku."

Goku grinned, food always made him feel better, "Alright, I'm starved." But then a thought crossed his mind, "Hey King Kai, do you think you could let me speak with Kami? I want to check on my family and friends."

The Kai turned his back to the Sayian, "Sure, just go ahead and place your hand on my back like last time."

Goku rose and placed his hand just like instructed before speaking, "Hello Kami, can you hear me?"

Back on the Lookout, the guardian of Earth smiled, "Goku, it is nice to hear from you. How is your training with King Kai?"

"Its going well! I've improved a lot from when you last saw me and I'm sure I'll be strong enough to defeat those Sayians! How is everyone doing, are they getting stronger as well?"

"Yes, they are indeed. They dove into the training without hesitance, and soon it will come to an end. They will have to further their techniques on their own."

Goku smiled at the news, "I can't wait to see everyone again. I'll bet they've really improved. How about my family? Are Gohan and Chi-Chi doing well?"

Kami closed his eyes for a bit, focusing his attention to Goku's wife, "She is doing well enough. She's with Bulma and a few others gathering the Dragon Balls. Master Roshi is with her as well, though she seems to handle herself quite well."

"Hehehe she's still got her fighting spirit. How about Gohan?"

At this Piccolo frowned, "His training is progressing under Piccolo, though there was an incident not too long ago?"

Goku frowned, "An Incident?"

"Yes, it seems Gohan tapped into something during his meditation. He grew aggressive, nearly fearl, and attacked Piccolo with a great power that he's not displayed since. I feel that this must be the Ox power that I observed them speaking about before."

"Really? Wow. If it was anything like with Raditz, then I'll bet Piccolo had his hands full dealing with it."

"Indeed, he actually had to fight your son seriously for a moment, but he was able to eventually knock him out. I've never felt anything like it, Goku. Whatever power you son has, it is different from normal Ki. Perhaps you could educate us on it, King Kai?"

The Kai chuckled, "Hehehe, I sure can. Let's see what the little tyke is working with." The Kai adjusted his antennas as he searched for the half Saiyan. Soon he located the boy and began to feel deeper, what he found left him flabbergasted, "Well I'll be, I didn't think there was anyone left in my section of the galaxy who still had such power."

Goku was curious, "You mean his Ox power? From what Chi-Chi told me, it is a power that was given to his ancestors from a god."

Kami also chimed in, "Yes, I did consult with the previous guardians about any kind of previous blessings bestowed. The one who bore the title during that time did say that a mysterious being did once descend and bestow humans with a power that he did not understand. It allowed them to fight against the demons of yore, and sparked the development of Ki in normal humans who tried to emulate those chosen. Though none of us were able to identify who gave this blessing or what it entailed."

King kai cleared his throat, "Yes, incident happened nearly a thousand years ago, before the beginning of this Earth's current age. A god visited the North Galaxy and took interest in humans. No one knows what it was about the simple creatures that garnered her interest, but when she found demons attacking and killing her precious humans, she bestowed upon them a blessing to help them fight."

"You have to understand, there is more than just life energy or Ki as we call it. What that God did wasn't just bestowing the power of ki, she blessed them with it. Blessed ki is holy, it can eradicate evil ki in the right hands. But blessings fade over time, and it seems to me that this Ox power is a ki that has wrapped when the blessing ran out."

Goku continued to digest what her heard, "Does that mean it's dangerous?"

King Kai shook his head, "It depends. Most humans never train their ki and with blessed ki its use it or lose it. But apparently Gohan's ancestors did their best to train their children to keep accessing the ki. I can't say that it'll be as strong as it was when blessed, but from what I've heard it seems to be tied strongly to his emotions. It's almost like he can only access it on instinct now, but who knows if that'll change when he gets older or with training."

Kami couldn't help but sigh, "Well, in either case, my other half seems to have taken the cautious approach when it comes to this Ox power. That last encounter nearly killed him."

"Well the Ox King says it can be controlled with training. Once I get back and the Saiyans are dealt with, then I'll be there to help him through it."

King Kai and Goku said their farewell to Kami and broke for lunch. Goku couldn't stop thinking about the news until he returned to training.

Soon, the Saiyans arrived. Changing human history forever.

A/N:

Alright, so let me explain how I can up with "Blessed Ki". DB super already opened the door for different types of ki with this God Ki or whatever they call it, so I know that it isn't unheard of. But what really sold me on the idea of blessed ki was the demon realm. So, way back in Dragon Ball, before saiyans, before space, there were demons. Piccolo was a demon, a well-known one to boot as he'd caused terror plenty of times for humans. None of them batted an eye at a demon being among them, so we know (even after we find out that he's an Alien) that demons are something that have been on Earth and confronted humanity in the past.

I figured if humans and demons existed on the same plane, then there was likely some fighting that took place. And we know that there is a God of destruction along with others in the universe, so is it really a stretch to say that a God took pity on humans and blessed a few of them while they prepared to separate the realms?

Either way, let me know what you think.


	4. Chapter 4

Gohan sat in a desert, deep in meditation as the wind howled around him. Several predators saw the boy, but none dared approach him. He had proved to the wildlife that he was no easy prey, and so they left him alone, especially now. This scene was common place in the past month. Every day, Gohan would sit and meditate. The goal, to gain control of his Ox power.

 **FLASH-BACK DESU~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Piccolo smirked as he avoided another blow from his student, the sharpness of the punch enough to cut his cheek slightly. The boy had grown strong under his tutelage in the past eleven months, all the clumsiness was gone from his style and he had learned to utilize his energy to augment his abilities. Of course, Piccolo still held quite an edge over the boy in experience alone.

Grabbing the arm of the half saiyan, he threw him into the sky and followed up with a blast of considerable power. The boy allowed himself to flow with the momentum, using his energy to quickly gain control of his body before stopping himself to face the blast. Unable to avoid it, Gohan gathered his energy to his hand. Once it was close, he was able to reflect it back with a swipe, before following up with a blast of his own.

He saw Piccolo brace himself as the blasts collided with him, creating a smokescreen that Gohan couldn't see through. What he could sense allowed him to dodge a retaliation blow from Piccolo, who had appeared to his left unscratched from the blasts. The two continued to exchange blows as they decreased their altitude, neither one giving ground as they tried to force the other to make a mistake to capitalize on. Soon they were on the ground, where they finally separated and fell still. Piccolo lowered his guard, and then slightly after, so did Gohan.

"You've improved. Your technique is good and your learning to cover your weak points."

Gohan couldn't fight the smile off his face, praise from Mr. Piccolo was hard to come by, "So what's next? Are you going to teach me more fighting techniques?"

"No, you've learned all you can about fighting from me at this point. You've reached the stage that every dedicated martial artist must endure through, gathering experience."

Gohan moved to sit, crossing his legs before him as he gave his teacher his undivided attention,"What do you mean, haven't I gotten experience from fighting with you?"

"You have, but there is only so much you can learn from fighting just one opponent. We're both familiar with one another's techniques and habits. If you continued to just fight me, then it is possible that one day you'd overtake me. But that doesn't mean you'll be able to best every opponent."

"So, what should I do? The Saiyans will arrive in a month or so, are you going to have me fight other opponents? "

Piccolo frowned, "That's not an option at this point. The other warriors are finishing up their training, so I won't disturb them. Unfortunately, there are no other warriors out there that could give you the challenge you need to grow."

"Then what am I going to do?"

"That's going to be for you to decide now. I would suggest becoming more familiar with your ki. No matter how great a fighter you are, if you're not properly utilizing your energy then you won't have the stamina to last in the longer fights. I've got one final stage of training, so I won't be around to look after you over this next month."

Alone, for an entire month? Gohan didn't know how to feel about that. He'd come to enjoy and rely on Mr. Piccolo to help make him a better fighter. Sure, he was rough around the edges, and his personality was like that of an grumpy cat. But he was Gohan's master and friend, he didn't want him gone. Apparently, this showed on his face.

"Don't go pouting, this isn't some playdate! Need I remind you, we're going to be fighting for our lives in the next month, so you're going to have to pour yourself into this next stage of training!" The namekian frowned when the boy's face didn't change, "Its only for a month, and I'm not leaving this wasteland. You'll be able to sense my energy and I yours, so if these Saiyans arrive early, we won't be too far apart from another."

Gohan chippered up at the news, "Sure thing Mr. Piccolo."

The rest of the day was spent gathering food and setting up camp. It was determined that tomorrow, Piccolo would leave and continue his own training. After dinner and meditation, Gohan was left staring up at the night sky, marveling at the stars that shown brilliantly. He was thinking of his future training, and how he would occupy his time in the next month _, 'Doing ki training is good and all, but that won't take a full day. Even if it did, I don't know if that'll be an effective use of my time….not unless…..'_

"Mr. Piccolo?"

"What is it?"

"Do you think I should try to train my Ox power?"

His answer was silence. He could sense that his master was still there, but he had yet to give a response. Gohan wanted to ask if he'd done something wrong, if he was being too naïve when it came to mastering such a power, but he held his tongue. His master always had an answer for him, even if it took a while.

The boy was almost asleep before his master gave his reply, "Your Ox power would be a fine boon in battle, but only if you can focus it on the enemy. I won't lie, at your current level if you lose control of your Ox power then whoever you come across will likely have to fight with the intent to kill. They'll have to if they want to survive. Even if they don't kill you, it could leave you or them with serious injuries."

There was a pause as Gohan digested his words, but his master was not done, "However, ultimately it is up to you. You're the only one who can gauge if pursuing that route will be beneficial in the long run. You're the one who has to determine if the risk is worth the reward."

Gohan didn't give a response, and Piccolo didn't say anything either. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep. When he awoke up, Piccolo was nowhere to be found.

 **END FLASH BACK DESU~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

In the past month, he'd practiced maximizing his efficiency with his attacks and movements, but mostly he focused on his Ox power. Currently, he was back in his mental-scape. The room had expanded considerably along with the water inside it. But the door was still in the same place, a small crack signifying his progress at accessing the power. No longer did he have to struggle to get the door open or to move. Now, all he needed to do was touch the handle and he'd be transferred into the other room where chaos and uncertainty awaited him.

He was glad that this wasteland wasn't close to any settlements. He was even happier when he found a massive desert next to it. No matter how much he trained his energy or how exhausted he was, whenever he touched the door, his body in the waking world go berserk.

Gohan would find himself in different parts of the desert or sometimes back in the wasteland. Often times there would be dead animals littered around him, casualties of his madness. The only sign of progress in all this, was that he was starting to retain some memories of the rampage. The feelings of anger and rage that fueled his actions in the heat of the moment.

He was about to try again, but then he felt a familiar power approaching him. After a brief moment, Piccolo arrived. Cloaked in his turban and cape, the green man descended to greet his pupil, "Gohan, good to see you're still alive."

"Mr. Piccolo what are you doing here? Is it time?"

"Yes, it's time. Reach out with your senses, to the north."

Gohan focused his attention and sure enough he found two massive powers surrounded by a bunch of smaller ones, much too many to count. Then, in an instant, only the two powers remained. Gohan opened his eyes in shock, "Th-they killed them! All those people, gone in seconds."

"You're getting a taste of what these Saiyans are capable of. Let's move back to the wasteland, we don't want to fight them and the environment at the same time."

"R-right."

The duo relocated to the wasteland and began to prepare themselves for the fight that was sure to come. They could feel the Saiyans closing in on them, but before they could arrive another fighter found them first, "Hello down there!"

Gohan recognized the voice, it was one he had only heard briefly about a year ago. It belonged to a bald man with six dots on his forehead. He wasn't too tall, and he was wearing a gi similar to his, the symbol of the turtle school on his back instead of demon. Gohan didn't remember his name, but Piccolo did.

"Krillin huh? I thought I sensed your approach. Looks like you were able to get stronger in the past year."

Krillin smirked as he sized up the green giant, "Well, I couldn't very well just leave it to you and Gohan to fight these Saiyans until Goku arrives. The others will be here as well, we've all been training for this day."

The monk then turned his attention to Gohan, "Wow look at you Gohan!" The toddler actually looked a bit embarrassed, he wasn't used to socializing. "I can't believe how much you've changed! You're so much stronger now, and I can tell that you're capable of defending yourself now."

"Y-yeah, M-mr. Piccolo trained me well."

"Oh, did he now? How was your time with Piccolo? He isn't exactly the easiest person to get along with."

Gohan smiled, "Mr. Piccolo was great! He taught me a lot about fighting and how to use my energy!" From there, Krillin and Gohan talked for about, mostly about his adventures with Goku growing up. It wasn't long before the Saiyans arrived.

No one spoke as the two descended to the ground. Gohan couldn't help but size them up. The first thing that stood out to him was their size difference. One of them was massive, taller than Mr. Piccolo and almost as wide as his grandpa, but much more muscular. He had a cruel smirk on his face and danger in his eyes.

The other, was a great deal shorter, only a few inches above Krillin and himself. He had spikey black hair, not too different from his father's. But his eyes held something that Gohan had never seen before. He could see confidence and power, but there was another more sinister look that made his skin crawl. This man was a murderer, they both were he knew, but the shorter had a different edge about him.

Piccolo broke the ice, "Can I help you two with something?"

It was the little one that spoke, "Well as a matter of fact you can. I'm Vegeta, prince of the Saiyan race, and this is Nappa, one of my elite soldiers. It's been a year, but I recognize that voice. You were the one that helped kill our comrade Raditz, along with that traitor Kakarot."

"So, its revenge you're after?"

Vegeta laughed, "Not quite. Raditz was weak, if he managed to die on this backwater planet then good riddance to bad rubbish. We're not here for revenge, we're here for your Dragon Balls, capable of granting any wish."

Piccolo smirked, "Well I'm sorry to say that we have no idea where the Dragon Balls are, none of us here will help you find them."

"Did you hear that, Nappa? They don't know where the Dragon Balls are. Sounds pretty familiar, wouldn't you say?"

The big one, Nappa laughed, "Sounds just like the Arveri from our last mission. You remember? He kept saying that he didn't know where the elders were, but a little pain was able to refresh his memory."

Earth's defenders all tensed up at this statement before the dropped into their fighting stances, ready to go.

Nappa laughed as the device on his face began to beep, "Well, that certainly got a raise from them. Let's see, the green one is at 1,200. The bald one is 1,100 and will you look at that, even the kid is at 1,000. Quite the intimidating line up, eh Vegeta?"

"Don't depend on the scouters too much, Nappa. Remember they can hide and raise their power at will."

"Heh, I doubt they're hiding anything that can match us."

Before they could test that theory, three more fighters arrived. Yamcha, the former desert bandit turned Kame student. Tien, former world champion and martial arts extraordinaire. Chaiotzu, the little emperor and lifelong friend of Tien.

Yamacha was the one to break the tension, "Don't go getting started without us!"

Vegeta smirked, "Well well, six fighters total? Nappa, plant the Saibamen and let's see just how tough these Earthlings are."

A/N:

We're moving right along. To answer a few questions: No this won't make Gohan overpowered. Ox Power or 'Blessed ki' is just another form of energy. I don't want to reveal anything, but as the story goes you'll see the changes in our hero and the universe around him.

As always, thank you for reading and reviews go a long way of helping me gauge interest.


	5. Chapter 5

Gohan was enthralled by the Saibamen. They were ugly little creatures. Claws instead of hands and toes, razor sharp teeth with beady red eyes. Their sickly green skin looked paper thin, allowing him to see the outline of their innards with sinister grins plastered on their little twisted faces. He was glad that they didn't seem capable of language, their shrill grunts were enough to make his skin crawl.

It was the big one, Nappa, who called them to attention while Vegeta explained the setup, "Why don't we have ourselves a little tournament? Six of you, six Saibamen. You can switch out if you'd like, but it'll be to the death. Neither Nappa or myself will get involved, so don't worry about sneak attacks."

Yamcha was the first to speak, "And just why the hell should we agree to that?!" The bandit looked like he was about to say more, but Tien placed an arm on his shoulder, turning his former adversary's attention onto him.

"We should accept it. It'll allow us to fight in a controlled environment, and a chance to rest between fights. It'll also burn some time until Goku arrives." The triclopse turned to regard Piccolo, who gave him a nod in return, before he stepped in front of the bandit and into the 'Ring'. "We'll accept. Send out your fighter, I'll take the first round."

Vegeta smirked before replying in a mocking tone, "Well, aren't we eager?" He made eye contact with one of the creatures and nodded towards the former crane student. The creature chirped twice before moving to attack, its claws extended in an attempt to dig into the human. Unfortunately, Tien was much faster. Evading the strike, he countered with a kick of his own, sending the creature flying. It crashed into the ground, shakily getting to its feet before squaring off again.

Tien didn't engage, instead he allowed the creature to dictate the pace of the fight, using his superior abilities to outmaneuver the Saibaman at every turn. Eventually, the creature couldn't take any more punishment and was left face down in the dirt. Tien smirked, "He's done." He took a few steps back from the opponent, unwilling to turn his back before making it back to his comrades.

The Saibaman eventually pulled itself to its feet, but was evaporated by a blast from Vegeta. Earth's defenders stood shocked. None of them, not even Piccolo, was used to seeing such cruelty. Gohan was shook, "H-he killed his own man!"

The prince simply gave a callus grin, "He was useless. Couldn't even take down an Earthling, he didn't deserve to live."

Krillin gulped as he stated the obvious, "Guess we can't any mercy from them."

Yamcha was the first to recover from his shock and step into the ring, "Allow me to go next." Another Saibaman jumped into the fry, this time moving a bit more cautiously before engaging. It closed the distance with a dash, covering his advance with a flurry of punches directed at the human. But it was to no avail. Yamacha avoided every blow, "Wolf Fang Fist!" The desert bandit countered with his signature rush, beating the creature senseless as it fell to the ground.

Confident, Yamacha smirked and turned his attentions to the Saiyans, "You might as well call in the next one, I'll take them all on!"

A strange sensation washed over Gohan, a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach as he watched Yamcha, "Don't let your guard down!"

"Wha—"

Sure enough, the Saibaman jumped to its feet before leaping at the long haired martial artist. Yamcha was completely caught off guard, unable to avoid the creature or mount a counter attack. But before the creature could latch onto him, a blast knocked him out of the air and sent it rolling along the ground were it lay unmoving.

All eyes turned to the source of the blast, and found Gohan, his arm extended with a firm expression on his face. Yamacha was astounded, "Thanks kid, you really pulled my bacon from the fire."

Piccolo scoffed, "Saved by a brat, you should be ashamed. A warrior never drops his guard around an enemy."

Yamcha bit his tongue, he wanted to tell the demon off, but he knew that he'd made a grave mistake. Instead, he walked off the field back to the side of his comrades.

Nappa finished off the downed Saibaman, "Almost had us one, Vegeta." He then looked to Gohan, "You seem pretty sharp kid, you must be Kakarot's son."

Gohan was nervous but responded, "M-my father's name is G-goku, but I was trained by the Great Piccolo!"

"Well, since you so graciously intervened to save your friend, you're up next."

Krillin stepped in, "Not while I'm around to fight. It's my turn."

The bald Saiyan smirked, "I wasn't asking." He made eye contact with another Saibaman who instantly moved to engage the child. Gohan was surprised, but he recovered quickly as he jumped back to give himself breathing room. Because his only real opponent over the past year has been Piccolo, Gohan was fully expecting to be weaker than the creature. He thought that he'd have to rely on his skill as a martial artist to narrowly avoid blows, counterattacking and wearing his opponent down with his own attacks.

So, when he was able to easily slip past the creatures blows, Gohan thought himself lucky, the creature wasn't taking him seriously. When he landed a kick that sent it flying back into one of the larger rock formations, toppling it onto the creature, Gohan knew then that he was much stronger than he previously thought.

Gohan was still looking at the result of his attack with awe, had he really done that. He felt a firm hand on his shoulder, unsurprising it was Piccolo, "You're starting to see the real results of your training. Don't get a big head about it, take a look at the Saiyans," The boy watched the Sayians as they regarded the last three Saibamen, they didn't even seem fazed by the defeat of three of their fighters.

"They're just toying with us. I'd imagine that these creatures, even if they all attacked at once, wouldn't beat either of those two alone. We're going to have our work cut out for us when they take the field."

The next three fights were easy wins. Krillin, Chaiotzu, and Piccolo, each took as much time as they could to draw the fight out. Yet even with their stalling, Goku was nowhere to be found. Now there was nothing standing between them, and the real threat.

Vegeta gave them a slow clap, "So this is the results of our preliminary round? Earthling's six, Saibamen, zero. I must say, I'm impressed. I didn't think any of you were capable of achieving this kind of power. Those Saibamen were about the same strength as Raditz, so it's clear that you've been working hard this past year." He stopped the bravado and looked to Nappa, "Looks like you're up. Leave the green one alive, he'll be the one to lead us to the Dragon Balls."

Nappa smirked as he stepped forward where he proceeded to power up. Gohan had never felt anything like it, the ground was shaking violently as rocks began to float around the giant. The toddler couldn't help reaching out with his senses to feel just how deep Nappa's power ran. What he felt almost made him sick. The energy Nappa was putting out felt wicked, evil. Unlike the energy he felt from his father's friends and Mr. Piccolo, this energy was cold, almost to on a physical level, it made him shiver.

Gohan swallowed as the alien's power continued to grow, passing his own reserves and climbing further. The man was at least twice as strong as Gohan, and if the faces of his comrades were anything to go by, stronger than them as well.

Krillin was sweating, "What the heck are these guys? This power is unreal."

The rest of the fighters kept their mouths shut, either out of fear or frustration. Finally, Nappa stopped powering up, relishing in the anguish that was apparent on the faces of his opponents, "So whose first? Oh wait, I know!" Then he vanished from sight, appearing before Yamcha before anyone could react. A swift uppercut from Nappa knocked the black-haired fighter into the sky with an audible snap. By the time he hit the ground his eyes were open, but his energy was plummeting, his heart still.

"Yamcha!" Krillin was the first to reach him, horrified by what he saw. It was clear that Yamach's neck was broken, blood spilling from the side of his mouth and his chest still. He was dead moments later.

"Hehehe, one down."

Tien turned furious, "You monster, how could you!?"

"He was already on borrowed time, I was just speeding up the clock." He smirked, "Looks like you want to be next!" Once again, Nappa vanished before their eyes. This time however, Tien was prepared. He met the giant in battle and began to trade blows with him.

Nappa was faster, but it was clear that he was used to just beating his opponents with superior power and speed. Tien was able to avoid immediate defeat by using his skills to avoid or turn attacks away from him while landing several blows, all of which Nappa shrugged off with ease. Things continued this way for a small time, but finally the bald saiyan had enough. He goaded Tien with an opening and grasped his arm when the Earthling moved to strike, "Gotcha!"

Tien struggled to break free, but it was no use. The earthling was powerless to stop Nappa from smashing a fist into his abdomen and headbutting the triclopse with monstrous force. Tien stumbled back, blinded by pain, but Nappa wasn't through with him. Engulfing ki into his fist, the mighty Saiyan swung it down with the intent to kill, only to meet the forearm of his adversary. It cut through with no resistance, "AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

Nappa stared down at the human with no remorse and an abundance of malice, ready for the kill. Krillin's voice stopped him, "Chiaotzu, what are you doing?!" He then felt a small pressure from his back, right in the middle where his arms couldn't reach. As he danced around it became apparent what had transpired, the little emperor was latched onto Nappa, with a strange blue aura around him.

Nappa started to fly around, rampaging as he tried to get the human off his back. Gohan, Krillin, and Piccolo could do nothing save watch it all unfold. They weren't privy to the conversation that unfolded telepathically between Tien and Chaiotzu, instead they made their own plan of attack when the time presented itself.

Piccolo frowned, "We're going to have to capitalize on his arrogance. Krillin, move to get in position and launch a surprise attack. Knock him towards me, I'll do the same to put him in position. Gohan," he turned towards the boy, "You'll be responsible for finishing him off. Gather as much energy as you can and blast him before he can recover."

Gohan gave a weighty nod, "I won't let you down."

And soon, the little emperor exploded, using his energy and body as a bomb in an attempt to bring down the mighty elite. The effort ultimately proved fruitless, only a few minor scratches as injuries from the attack.

"Three down and we just started. Things aren't looking good for-"

He didn't get to finish, a hammer blow from above caught him off guard as Krillin used all of his might to send the giant flying. Before Nappa could regain control, he was viciously kicked in the back by Piccolo who appeared suddenly, "Gohan, now!"

Gohan, who had begun gathering his strength long before launched his attack, had a decision to make. Even with the amount of power he gathered, he wasn't sure if he could do much against the stronger Saiyan. But with his Ox power _...'I have to try. The others are counting on me, the Earth is counting on me. I just hope I can control it.'_ His decision made and no time to hesitate, Gohan moved to tap into his Ox power.

The spike in energy caused Vegeta's scouter to come to life, _'2000 now its 3000 and its still climbing.'_ Vegeta couldn't believe it, the boy had clocked in at a 1300 just a year ago, now he was approaching the level of a Saiyan elite and he wasn't even ten. Finally, the scouter stopped climbing, and the Prince was astounded, _'5,500?!'_

He offered only a warning, "Nappa, get out of there!"

"MASENKO!"

The beam exploded from the palm of Gohan's hands, a raging yellow flash much larger than anything he'd produced before. Krillin was amazed he had no idea that the boy had that kind of power, but Piccolo knew where this had come from, 'I hope you know what you're doing Gohan, everything hangs in the balance.'

Nappa tried to use his energy to slow his momentum, but he wasn't able to gain control. The only thing he could do was cross his arms and brace himself as he was consumed by the energy. A loud explosion, followed. Everyone was staring, searching for Nappa. Everyone save Gohan, who was growling, his body shaking with power.

A/N:

This is where we go AU (Obviously). I won't be updating on the Weekends (that's my time dam it), so you'll have to hold out until Monday. As always, reviews are appreciated.


	6. Chapter 6

Piccolo could only watch with anticipation as Gohan continued to shake, his power fluctuated rapidly. His gaze didn't linger on the boy for long though, as the smoke cleared to reveal a heavily injured Nappa, his breathing labored. His armor was gone, obliterated by the blast, and his torso was covered with blood and burns. Only the briefs he wore underneath remained, his tail still wrapped securely around his waist. "Y-you three, how dare you." He took a moment to look at his injuries, "To think, I've been reduced to this….I'll kill you all slowly!"

Piccolo and Krillin readied themselves, but soon they were sporting matching grins. "You talk big, but its clear that attack did a number on you. Your power is barely half of what it was."

Krillin flexed his fists, "Time for some payback. We'll make sure to give you double for our friends!"

At this the three engaged in combat. It was as Piccolo said, Nappa was clearly wounded by the blast from Gohan. Between Krillin and Piccolo, they were more than a match for the Saiyan. At least, they would have been, were it not for Gohan deciding to attack them.

Just as Krillin and Piccolo had knock Nappa to the ground, Gohan appeared, smashing Piccolo over the head with a hammer blow.

"Arrgh!"

"Piccolo! Gohan wh—"

The earthing was forced to defend himself suddenly, Gohan spared to hesitance as he started attacking. Krillin had never seen anything like it, his eyes were a deep red and it appeared he'd lost all reason as he snarled out in rage, "I'll end you!" Krillin continued to block and evade, hoping that the boy would soon come to his senses.

Meanwhile, Vegeta watched with fascination as the events unfolded before him, _'So, the boy can't control his power. Whatever technique he used not only bolstered his strength, but sent him into a blind rage.'_ He glanced down at Nappa, who had begun to stand, and grunted, "Having trouble with their ilk? Most unbefitting for the mighty general of the entire Saiyan army."

"P-prince Vegeta, don't worry….I'll make them pay."

"Heh, I wonder."

Piccolo was back on his feet, growling as he moved to help Krillin. He grabbed Gohan's arm mid swing, and proceeded to lay into the boy with precise blows to his abdomen. Following up with a kick, Piccolo smashed the boy towards the ground. Before Gohan could get back to his feet, Piccolo karate chopped him at the base of the neck, rendering him unconscious.

Krillin was perplexed, "What the heck got into Gohan, I've never seen anything like it."

"It's his Ox power. Apparently, it runs in the Ox King's line, though I don't think it's quite like Gohan's."

The mocking laughter of Vegeta drew their attention, "Well, that was certainly entertaining. Don't tell me you're going to destroy yourselves and spare me the trouble?" The duo began to land as the Prince watched them. The smirk never left his face, "Now, what to do. You've certainly come far, not many can get the best of Nappa congratulations."

"But you see, the problem is that you're still not match for me. I could kill the three of you in an instant, but that wouldn't be fun." He smiled, "I could just torture you until you told me how to find the Dragon Balls. Yes, I think that'll be exciting. One of you is bound to break."

Piccolo scowled as he extended his sense to take in the prince's power. He wasn't exactly hiding it, but even without being powered up Piccolo could feel the depths of it. He and Krillin wouldn't stand a chance, not like this.

Krillin seemed to know this as well, "It doesn't matter what you do to us! Once Goku gets here, he'll avenge us and show you whose boss!"

"Goku? Is that the name Kakarot goes by?"

"You may call him by his Saiyan name, but he's discarded it!"

"I see. If I remember correctly he died in the fight with Raditz, but you say he's alive. Well then, where is he? Too scared to fight with his friends?"

Krillin growled, "He's no coward! Goku will be here, you'll see!"

Vegeta's smirk grew as he had an idea, "I'll tell you what. I'll give Kakarot three hours to get here. If he's as strong as you say he is, then maybe he can make this interesting for me. It'll also give you three a chance to lick your wounds along with Nappa before he gets another go at you."

He glanced at the injured Saiyan with cold eyes, "You'd better not embarrass us again, Nappa."

The giant didn't respond, he was far too scared to speak.

Gohan came too and was instantly on alert. He jumped to his feet, to find Piccolo and Krillin looking at him. He turned and found Vegeta and Nappa still alive sitting a few yards away. "Mr. Piccolo, Krillin, what's going on?"

Krillin sighed in relief, "Man, glad to see you're back to normal kid."

"Back to normal? Oh no, I lost control again!" He scowled as he remembered tapping into his Ox power to boost his Masenko. _'It looks like it worked, that big guy is really hurt. But I couldn't pull myself out of it.'_

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have tried that. Even with him hurt, I could have cost us everything. I tried to fight it though! Not that it helped at all…"

Piccolo grunted, "Maybe it did. You weren't hard to take down, not when compared to last time. And like you said, we managed to injure that Saiyan without taking a lot of damage. Once three hours is up, Goku or not, we're going to take that big one down."

"So, they're waiting for dad?" Gohan didn't really understand it, but he wasn't going to complain about it. Instead he was going to make use of the time, "I think I'll meditate then, try to regain some of my energy. I still feel a kind of sluggish."

The monk nodded, "Yeah kid, I think me and Piccolo will keep watch. I just hope Goku gets here in time. Things sure would be easier with that guy around."

Gohan dove into his meditation, back into the room filled with water. As expected, the water had diminished, now it didn't even cover his head, _'I guess I should be glad that I didn't use more. I might not have been able to recover enough to be useful.'_ Clearing his mind, the boy focused on his breathing and allowed himself to rest. Energy was natural, and with time it would replenish. He had not suffered broken bones or torn muscles, flesh would recover. Even now, the water was pouring into the room filling to cover his ears. That was when he heard it. The rapid sloshing of motion from his left.

As Gohan opened his eyes, he found that he was looking through the door to his Ox power. It was miniscule, barely more than a crack, but a sliver of insight into what lay ahead. The whirlpool was still churning rapidly, but there was something happening at the breach where his water met the unnatural murky liquid that was his Ox power. Slowly as the waters battled for control of the territory, a small amount of the Ox power would break into his water, where it would float for a spell before breaking down. _'Does this mean I'm slowly getting better at accustomed to it?'_

A firm hand brought him back to the present. Piccolo stood above him, and with a nod, turned his attention to the Saiyans. Gohan got to his feet and looked around, disappointed to find that his father had not arrived.

"I don't understand, what could have happened to Goku? I know they wished him back."

"It doesn't matter. We'll just have to manage on our own."

Vegeta chuckled at this conversation, "Well, I suppose that low class trash must have figured he stood no chance. Too bad for you, Kakarot turned coward." He glanced at Nappa, "Now, then Round 2." His eyes held a promise for Nappa, one that caused the giant to shiver before stepping forward.

The ex-general gathered is power with a fierce roar, his yellow aura flamed into existence as it coated his body. Piccolo noticed that it wasn't back up to his maximum, but it had gone up from before. _'He's still more of a match for us one on one, we'll have to take him together.'_

"Krillin with me, Gohan keep us covered!"

The responded in unison, "Right!"

Krillin and Piccolo charged the giant, meeting him head on in combat as they both attacked with swift strikes. Nappa was fast, but not fast enough to block them all, strikes were soon bouncing off him. They weren't very effective on their own, but each blow forced the Saiyan to expend more energy. Focusing, Nappa poured on the heat by going on the offense. He broke Krillin's flow of attacks with an elbow to the stomach and a backhand.

Now free to focus on Piccolo, Nappa began to throw a punch but was greeted with a kick to the side of his face that pushed him back. Angered, he found that Gohan had intervened, "You little punk, I'll have your head!"

Gohan stood firm and followed Piccolo into combat, allowing his mentor to take the lead. Gohan was scared, but firm, he wouldn't allow himself to fall prey to his nerves. Senses extended, the boy was able to cover his master's side and land a few solid blows on Nappa. He was pleased to find that his pain had lessened and his energy replenished, not a great deal, but better than he'd hoped.

Yet even with these advantages, Nappa was still a admirable foe. Gohan was soon too slow to react and Piccolo paid the price with a punch that had him rattled. But this is what they planned for. So when Nappa turned his attention to Gohan, Krillin was able to land a hammer blow to his head that left him in a crater on the ground.

"EEEEEENOUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!" Driven mad, Nappa rocketed from the hole in a blind attempt to smash his fist into Gohan, but all he got was a drop kick to his exposed chest from beneath curtesy of Piccolo. The perfect setup for his student to deliver a roundhouse kick to his face where he spiraled down to the ground, at the feet of his prince.

Vegeta stared down at his comrade with contempt, "Pathetic." He then grabbed Nappa by the arm, breaking it as he yanked him to his feet, dislocating it from the socket when he was done. The agony was enough to leave the bald Saiyan speechless. "I told you not to further embarrass our race, and you go and give a worthless performance like that? Well no longer!"

Vegeta smashed the weaker Saiyan into the sky with a kick, electing a single drawn out groan from Nappa," Veeeegeeeeetaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Vanish to the next dimension!", he screamed as he lit the sky with a beam of purple energy headed straight for the flying Nappa. The collision resulted in an explosion that forced Gohan to look away, the sheer sound drowning out nearly all of his other senses. When he finally regained his bearings, Gohan found Vegeta staring at him.

"Now, what to do with you three. You see, I never intended to have to fight anyone here. Torture maybe, but not fight. I suppose I owe you three a noble death, if nothing else. I don't think I need you at all. You see, I remember hearing about your race, Namekian."

Piccolo was floored, "M-my race?!"

Vegeta smirked, "Oh didn't you know? I suppose not, after all, you're awfully far from home. I do remember hearing a strange rumor about that planet. One about mystic artifacts that when combined caused your wish to be granted. I thought they were just idiotic rumors, but seeing you here proves it. I'll kill you three, and Kakarot if he's on this planet. And once I blow this ball of mud to bits, I'm going to go visit Namek, and use their Dragon Balls for immortality." He shifted into a unfamiliar stance, "Now, prepare yourselves."

That was the only warning they had before he vanished. Never could they have imagined that there could be someone so fast and so strong. Faster than they could draw breath, Vegeta had deliver three blows, one to each of them. The strength of which left them groaning on the ground, beaten.

The prince touched down some yards away and laughed, "Is that really it? I was just giving you a greeting. Well, I should have expected as much. Now, which one to kill first."

Piccolo was on his feet. To his left, Gohan was moving to do the same. On his right, Krillin didn't seem able to move at all, only turning his head to watch the end. Vegeta's hand was rested on Piccolo, but then shifted to Gohan, "Well, don't want any more surprising from you."

Gohan was on his feet when the blast appeared, but he couldn't move. All he could do was stand and watch. Watch as it left Vegeta's palm. Watch his arms raised uselessly to shield him. Watch as Mr. Piccolo's back appeared before him. Then he screamed.

A/N: Next up, Goku's arrival and the fight for the planet. As you can see, I'm taking some liberties. Trust me, more are coming.

As always, please review.


	7. Chapter 7

Goku was horrified at the scene he arrived to. He'd made a mistake with his timing to leave King Kai's planet. He still had to run Snakeway in the opposite direction, which took him nearly 18 hours before he made it back to the King Yemma's check in. Once he was there, he had to travel from the lookout to his friends, which was on the other side of the planet. Goku knew that his opponents were strong, he would need all the energy he could spare, especially if he had to use the Kaioken. It was with all these factors in mind that he decided to take the Nimbus, a slower mode of transportation, but still fast enough for him to reach his friends without tiring himself.

When he reached out with his senses, only Gohan, Krillin, and Picciolo remained among the living. Both opponents were still there, though the weaker one's power level started to decline. Goku figured that was good news, that his friends were defending themselves well enough. He was almost there when he felt their powers begin to weaken, 'Just hold on guys, I'll be there soon!'

But he wasn't soon enough. He found Piccolo standing before his son, shielding him. Had you asked Goku last year, who of all the people he'd met would sacrifice themselves to save his family, he could have told you confidently that Piccolo's name was never even considered. He still remembered the demon delighting in the fear his name caused, his laughter as he taunted the hero with his defeat. But something in the past year changed him, and it looked like his son was the cause.

"Gohan!" Goku was powerless to do anything but watch as the demon took the beam head on, screaming all the while along with his son.

When it ended, Piccolo was still standing, his body covered in burns and lacerations. Vegeta smirked, "Well, I didn't realize you were so eager to die. Next time, I'll ask for volunteers."

Piccolo couldn't respond, instead he fell onto his back eyes on the sky as he felt himself dying. Gohan appeared in his field of view tears in his eyes, "Mr Piccolo, please hang on!"

"G-Gohan…."

"Don't talk, you need your energy!"

"I-I'm done for. Gohan, thank you…..thank you for being my student, my friend." The former demon was crying freely without shame, "I was born from bad intentions…evil held in my heart….but you…..you made me care. For the first time…in my life…..I cared about someone…other than myself." He gave the boy a watery smile, "Survive, Gohan…survive."

Gohan was sobbing freely, "Mr. Piccolo!" But his mentor never answered, and soon, he passed into the afterlife.

Goku stood behind his son, somber at the passing of his nemesis turned friend. Placing a hand on Gohan's shoulder, he leaned down to comfort him, "I'm sorry Gohan. I owe Piccolo a lot for training you and giving his life to defend you. He must have cared for you deeply to do what he'd done. He died with honor, and a changed man because of your influence." He moved and took a bean from his pocket. Splitting it in half he gave one side to his son, "Here, eat this. Sensu beans will refill your energy."

The orange clad Saiyan turned to Vegeta, a scowl on his face, "So you're the remaining Saiyan. The one who hurt my family and friends."

Prince Vegeta couldn't hold back his laughter, "So the great Kakarot finally arrives? Well I must say, you really cut it close. Nappa had some fun with a few of your friends, but the ones who survived were actually able to defeat him." He smirked as his eyes fell to the now dead Piccolo, "As you can see, they were no match for me. It's too bad, maybe had you arrived sooner, the green one would still be alive."

Goku frowned as his power started to raise, "Maybe, but it was your cruelty and greed that killed him. I'll make sure you pay for all the pain you've caused!"

Gohan could feel his heartbeat in his head, blood like liquid fire in his veins as it spread through his body. His mind clouded with emotions of rage and grief, both fighting for dominance as he struggled to remain in control. He could hear water churning, and when he opened his eyes he found himself in his mindscape, standing before the door.

All the power he needed was beyond the door, but the boy couldn'tAll the power he needed was beyond the door, but the boy couldn't bring himself to reach for it. Until that is a hand emerged from the otherside.

Gohan nearly choked in shock, "W-w-who's there?!" The hand looked human, a grown up for sure if the size was anything to go by. Try as he might, Gohan couldn't see who was one the otherside, just a shadowy figure in the water. He never received a response, instead the hand simply began to retreat between the doorway. Before it could disappear fully, Gohan reached out to grasp it. A rush of power following.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Goku was shocked as he turned his head to stare at his son. His head was thrown back, a primal scream erupting from his lungs as his power skyrocketed. Across from him, Vegeta's scouter jumped to life as it locked on to the child, "4000,5000,6000,…8000?!" As the number increased the prince became more unsettled until finally the scouter finished, "9,300!? Impossible, a mere child with such a high power level?"

"Gohan….."

Said child had stopped screaming, his strength unleashed as he focused his now red eyes on Vegeta, "Mr. Piccolo was my friend, I won't let his death go unavenged!"

The proud prince regained his composure, "Well isn't this familiar? It seems that the low-class Saiyan father is just about as strong as his half-breed son. Perhaps together you might actually be a challenge."

"Gohan, you don't need to fight him—"

"I'm not leaving!"

Goku frowned, "Gohan you're not yourself."

"I've trained for this dad, I'm not leaving this fight!" He approached his father and stood by his side, his glance never breaking from Vegeta.

Before he could comment further, Gohan sprang into action, a flurry of punches as his greeting. The prince was surprised but not unprepared. He avoided each blow with some degree of difficulty, counter attacking when he'd had enough defense.

Eager, Gohan did the best he could to dodge, but Vegeta was much too skilled to be denied. A blow landed to his face, causing him to wince and fly back. The price smiled, but soon it faded as Gohan had a smirk of his own, "Is that the best you've got?" Rocketing forward, Gohan engaged the prince, not even phased by the blow.

Soon enough, the boy found himself on the defensive again, but this time, his father was there to support him. Goku finessed a kick through Vegeta's guard and into his chest, forcing him away him away from Gohan, "Gohan, follow my lead and don't fight him alone. He's too strong for that, but if we stay together we can wear him down and beat him."

The boy was growling, his fingers twitching before he tightened them into a fist, "Right."

Vegeta arrived and brought the fight back to the father son duo. He moved with a ruthless elegance that left the two constantly on edge, one mistake could cost them their lives. Goku found himself enjoying the fight, a thrill that never seemed to fade. He didn't know what caused this incredible feeling, but having Gohan, his son, by his side as he engaged in a literal battle of life and death filled him with a sense of pride he never knew he could have.

Gohan felt as though he was on the edge of his sanity. Everything burned, his eyes seemed to see every detail and the rest of his senses felt too finely sharpened. He wanted to tear into things. To break, slash, rip and grind someone into the ground. Gohan could barely register his father's voice, his anger threatening to break free.

As they continued to trade blows, Goku took a knee to his abdomen, bringing himself short as Gohan tried to with stand the assault. Deciding that he would need a boost, Goku focused his ki to perform the Kaioken. A shroud of red enveloped the Saiyan, augmenting his body in ways previously unheard. He appeared before Vegeta and smashed his fist into his stomach, repaying him for earlier as he kicked him away, "You alright son?"

Gohan grunted, his breathing shallow from the effort. Even tired, he didn't feel any less powerful. His energy wasn't fading like normal, it was just his body getting tired. He wondered what this side effect from his new-found power meant. With a grimace, he watched Vegeta as he closed in on them.

The Prince floated before Goku and Gohan while laughing, "Excellent! I must say, even if you're a traitor and a half-breed, you two are certainly Saiyans. This reminds me of our home planet. Back at the palace, I would fight low class saiyans for sport, a training exercise to grow my power." His grin was full blown now, "It pains me to have to kill you two, but I suppose I can at least give you the honor of a Saiyan death."

Gohan felt a chill wash over his body as the prince's power began to raise. The depths of his power began to show, exceeding any limits that the boy imagined he would have _. 'How could anyone be so strong?!'_

Goku was along similar thoughts, _'He's too strong to double team him. I'm going to have to use the double Kaioken to even stand a chance. Maybe triple.'_

Finished, the prince spoke, "Now come. Allow me to give you the final pleasure of dying at the hands of a Saiyan elite!"

A/N:

I know I know, I'm late I'm late

This isn't a long one, but honestly, my muse has been waning a bit. I figured that if I didn't post this now, that you guys might not get another update until…..late. So I'm posing this now and I'll double the next one.

Also, who is that hand behind that door?


	8. Chapter 8

Gohan grit his teeth as he used a cross block to shield himself from Vegeta's kick. His bones seemed to groan from the effort as he was pushed back, soon they were going numb from the pain. The father son duo was completely outclassed. They'd tried to keep their strategy going, attempting to overwhelm Vegeta so that he would wear down, but even two on one he proved to be too much. This was emphasized when Goku narrowly avoid a blast that would have likely killed him, instead his shirt paid the price.

Gohan didn't know what was going on with his father, he was much too focused on keeping his anger in check, but he spotted a smirk on his face as he stared down Vegeta. This didn't go unnoticed by the prince, "You really are a Saiyan, you're enjoying yourself."

"I'm not sure what the heck is going on. But even though things are looking grim, I'm really enjoying this fight." He made his way over to his son, "Gohan, how you holding up?"

The child growled, "He's strong."

"Yeah, he is. I'm proud of you for lasting this long." He glanced over at his son, "I'm going to have to use a double Kaioken, it's the only way we'll stand a chance. But I'm going to need you to hang back. I don't have a lot of time and if he engages you then it'll put us all at risk."

Gohan forced the snarl down, he just wasn't strong enough to go toe to toe with the prince of all Saiyans but he felt like he'd explode if he didn't fight.

Goku took the chance to place a hand on his son's shoulder. He felt his son tense under him and frowned, "I don't know what's going on with your power Gohan, but it might be better to let it go for now."

"How can you say that!? Without my Ox power I wouldn't stand a chance!"

"I know son. Your power is amazing, but we still don't fully understand it. You're not getting any weaker, but I can tell that this fight is taking its toll on your body. You move like you don't even feel it, if you keep this up you could really hurt yourself beyond repair." He removed his hand and floated before his son, "I'll handle things from here. Just focus on recovering."

Gohan didn't want to admit it, but his father was right. The gap was just too big. _'W-what?!_ ' The toddler felt himself getting tired, his energy draining out of while the pressure in his ears reduced. He landed on a small rock formation and fell to his knees, panting from the effort. His body was sore, whatever damage he suffered was quickly becoming apparent. Slowly, he closed his now brown eyes and tried to bring his breathing under control.

Vegeta watched this with a raised brow, _'That brat's power is dropping like a stone. What kind of technique was he using? Its similar but different from Kakarots.'_

"Finally done stalling? And what's this, the brat is not going to continue? Such a shame, I guess I'll have to kill him later."

"You'll have to get past me first."

"Oh, is that confidence I hear? I'm not sure where you're getting it, I've already shown you the gap between a Saiyan elite and low-class trash such as yourself."

Goku smirked, "Yeah you're strong alright. But even a low-class can surpass an elite if they train hard enough."

Now it was Vegeta who smirked, "Well, allow me to show you a strength that no amount of training can surpass."

Goku didn't respond, instead he once again focused his energy as he prepared Kaioken. Yet instead of stopping, he raised his energy higher, doubling the effect it had on both his power level and his body. The result was a fierce gale of wind generating from his body, blowing dust and pebbles about wildly as Vegeta watched in shock. Then, as fast as he could blink, Goku appeared and kick him into the sky, continuing the fight.

Vegeta was angry, but determined. He regained control of his body just in time to engage the blazing Saiyan. The two began to trade blows at a pace that pushed even Vegeta to the limit of his skills. Finally, he spotted an opening, and the Prince of all Saiyans eagerly acted, his fist moving to bury itself into the low-class warrior. But it never happened.

Goku had once again vanished, his red aura the only thing left behind as he appeared above the prince before smashing over the head with a hammer blow. It didn't end there though, Goku raced to beat Vegeta to the ground, first overtaking him to set up his attack, and then delivering a kick to the side of the falling opponent that sent him on a crash course with a mountain which then crumbled on top of the warrior before all fell still.

For a moment, there was peace. Then, an explosion of power, blasting away the debris and revealing one furious member of the Saiyan royal family. There was no banter or witty remarks, only rage as he closed the gap between himself and the low-class warrior, intent on paying him back.

As the two Sayians collided, Gohan recovered enough to stand on stable legs. He was hurt, but it was nothing he hadn't experienced in his training with Piccolo. He could still hear his mentors voice, 'The enemy won't care if you're hurting and neither will I! Now take your stance or suffer!' But even though he was on his feet, his power had diminished greatly. Unable to assist his father, Gohan found a plateau out of the way, and concentrated on scrapping together what little power he had left.

Goku and Vegeta clashed again, several blows being traded as each tried to gain dominance over the other. Goku slipped a punch past his opponent's guard, smashing his fist into his face. But instead of backing down, Vegeta powered through and returned the favor two-fold as he laid a punch to his face and body.

The fight remained neck and neck, but the strain of the Kaioken on Goku's body began to show. He was slow to deliver a kick to Vegeta and paid for it by eating a kick to the abdomen followed by an uppercut. Reeling, Goku tried to recover but his control was off. As he tried to rally his strength, Vegeta smashed him with heavy blows and sent him falling to the ground on all fours, where he struggled to stand.

Gohan felt his breath hitch in anguish. All he could do was watch as his father brought himself to his feet with a groan of pain and labored breathing, powerless to do anything about it. 'All that training, and it's still not enough.' He didn't know what else to do, so he had faith in his father. Faith that somehow the champion of Earth could prevail once more.

Meanwhile, Goku frowned. He was in a tough situation and it was getting worse by the second. The double Kaioken was enough to close the gap but it wasn't enough to push him to victory, _'I'm going to have to go further than this. It's the only way I can win, I'm sorry King Kai.'_

With a hard resolve reflecting in his eyes, Goku pushed himself further than he'd ever gone, a triple Kaioken. Vegeta, unable to sense the increase in power, simply smirked, "So, it's this again? Too bad, it won't be enough."

Goku answered him with a punch to the jaw that left him stunned. Faster than he could blink, the distance between them was closed by the orange clad warrior, a red aura flaring wildly around him. Everything hurt. His body became a living pinball as Goku continued to knock him across the wasteland with furious blows, each one more painful than the last. It all ended with a knee being driven into the middle of his back, arching it to the breaking point as the Prince almost blacked out from the pain.

No longer able to hold onto the technique, Goku jumped to another plateau to gain some distance, before he allowed it to fall. _'That….should do it.'_ His body felt horrible. Everything was on fire, his shoulder popped out of its socket and he had to bring it back into place with a hiss as his legs threatened to give out. The only good thing about the situation was that Vegeta was also slow to get to his feet.

The prince was livid, 'H-how is this possible?! I'm a Saiyan elite, prince of all Saiyans. Yet I'm struggling to crush lower trash and his half-breed son! No more, it's time to end this!'

Blasting into the sky, Vegeta focused his power into his signature attack, "Let's see how you handle this Kakarot, no more playing around! Dodge this one and your precious planet will suffer the consequences!"

"W-what?!" Goku stared in horror, awed at the sheer power he felt from the charging attack. He swallowed once, his dread falling by the wayside as his sheer determination pushed through. Summoning the Kaioken, he allowed the technique to take hold even with his injuries as he cupped his hands together for his signature attack.

Gohan felt tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. He felt the power from Vegeta and like his father, there was an overwhelming amount of fear that paralyzed him where he stood. ' _I-it can't be. That's got to be enough power to take out the whole planet.'_ For the first time in over a year, Gohan actually felt like the child he was and not a warrior. He wanted to run, to let his father do all the fighting like he did with Garlic Jr.

He felt himself inching back, his body giving in to the primal fear of death. But then, came a voice in his head _, 'The enemy doesn't care if you're scared! If you're afraid, then take that emotion and pour it into your attack! No reason to be afraid if your enemy is dead.'_

Suddenly, his body wasn't shaking anymore. Standing his ground, Gohan grit his teeth as his hands curled into a fist. He saw Vegeta's attack come down and his father's Kamehameha rising to challenge him. The toddler didn't know when his started getting closer to the struggle, but he could feel his power growing as he drew closer.

Goku felt his heart stop as he saw Gohan walk next to him, but he couldn't break his concentration otherwise his worst fear would come to life. He was about to take his technique to the next level when he felt his son's power swell. His hands overlapping, Gohan brought Piccolo's skill to life as he combined the attack with that of his once archrival. Alone, Goku was able to keep the beam at bay. With his son by his side, they were able to tip the scales in their favor.

'No! This is impossible!'

Vegeta tried to pour more energy into his attack, but he had put forth all that he could and still he was being pushed back. Inevitably, Vegeta was consumed by the blast and hurled into the sky, leaving both of Earth's defenders panting.

Goku looked to his son and found him with tears on the side of his face, red eyes still on the sky as they felt Vegeta's power get further and further away. As a father, he wanted to scold his son. He should have stayed back and allowed him to handle this opponent, not gone to stand beside him during such a dangerous time. But the warrior in him swelled with pride. 'I wasn't anywhere near that strong when I was his age. I really do owe a lot to you, Piccolo.'

He placed a hand on his son's shoulder, and to his surprise, the boy didn't seem to have any problem controlling himself. "You did well Gohan. I'm proud of you, and I bet Piccolo feels the same way."

Gohan turned to his father and wiped away his tears, "Thank you dad. But it's not over, is it?"

Laughing, Goku took a load off and sat on the ground, doing his best to allow his body to rest, "No son, not by a long shot. He'll be back, and we're going to have our work cut out for us when he gets here."

A/N: Yeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh. Apparently, I need to lay off the computer time. My posture is garbage and that's what was causing the pain I was feeling. I'll still be updating, and I'll do my best to keep updates regular. But to make sure that I'm not suffering, I'll have to move at a pace that my body is comfortable with.

Thank you all for you patience!


	9. Chapter 9

Vegeta descended from the clouds, his vision nearly red from rage, pain, and if he was being honest with himself, shame. Never in his wildest dreams did he envision himself being tussled about by a low class saiyan and his abomination of a son. Even now, the watched him with challenge in their eyes and a fighting position, _'Ignorant fools, they should be bowing before their prince. Yet they dare stand against me!'_ He felt a boiling rage surge through him, one that took the combined effort of his practice and his will to not act on. Instead he offered a cold smirk, "You two are proving to be more than a thorn in my side. But the truth is, I'm proud."

He watched them exchange a look before focusing back onto the prince, wary, but listing. "You see, the galaxy is much bigger than you two could hope to understand. We saiyans are a warrior race, fighting anyone as far back as we could even remember. I'll tell you some recent history. One day, an army came to our planet. They didn't talk, and we didn't want to. We slaughtered them to the last man and bathed in their blood as we celebrated our victory. But then, another being came. This time with powerful soldiers that made our elites look like children."

The prince frowned, "They could have ended our entire race, but instead, he offered us servitude. We accepted. I found myself serving where I should rule, and when our planet was destroyed, our race all but lost. I won't serve him forever," Vegeta focuses his gaze back onto his kin, "I could use the two of you. You're saiyan enough, and killing you will leave me as the last." His fist clenches before he opens it to reveal a ball of energy, "But I will not condone this incelence! I will show you the true power of a Saiyan. You will bow before your prince before you can serve!" With his last word he hurled the ball into the sky, "Burst, Open, and Mix!"

Neither Goku or Gohan knew what the energy would do, but they knew it wouldn't be good. When Vegeta began to transform, their horror amplified.

Not for the first time today, Krillin lamented just how poorly their fortune had turned. A majority of his friends and rivals were dead, killed by the aliens they spent a year preparing to fight. All their effort and pain, only delayed their inevitable defeat, _'Heck, if it wasn't for Gohan and Piccolo, we wouldn't have taken down that big lumax.'_ And now he was flying away from the fight, leaving his oldest friend alongside his five year old son, to fight the battle alone.

 _'It can't be helped. Both of them are way stronger than me, I'd only get in the way.'_ He reached out with his senses and felt both of their powers. They were slightly lower, but still there. Then he felt a surge of strength from the alien, Vegeta. The former monk couldn't help but stop and take it all in. Looking back, he saw the ball of energy in the sky and felt an ominous chill rush through his bones.

This was the crossroad. Goku and Gohan were much stronger than him, their powers already transcending anything that Earth's fighters thought possible. Their enemy, was even stronger. This was a battlefield for the gifted, for aliens that did not know the concept of limitation. What place on it was there for a man? This was the crossroad, a junction. He could just continue on to Master Roshi's and wait with the rest. No one would blame him, hell, he already did more than most. He endured the death of his friends, pain, panic and most of all terror beyond any means a normal person could fathom. So, what was a little more? This was the crossroad, but for Krillin, there was only ever one choice. He turned back, towards certain death, and his friends.

It was like he was trapped in some sort of nightmarish reality. Before him stood a monster, strange, yet familiar. A giant monster covered in fur with the feature like that of an ape. Its eyes completely red and fangs the size of buildings jutting from its maw. When Vegeta explained the transformation and it's requirements, lots of things snapped into place for Goku. The sudden blackouts at night, the escape from Pilaf's castle,falling asleep in the world martial arts tournament against Jackie Chun...his grandfather's death. He was the monster of Mt. Paouzu. But he would have to come to peace with that later. Right now, his main focus was on keeping himself and his son alive.

Though Vegeta expanded greatly in size, his speed and strength amplified with him. There was no clunky weakness to take over, like he had done with Piccolo, and the attacks that landed might as well have been spitballs for all the good they did. There was only one attack that stood a chance of working, but he would need the time to prepare it. But time was not a luxury they could afford.

The only reason that Vegeta hadn't cornered them already was because he was trying to catch them both at once. No matter how fast, it was impossible for him to look both left and right at the same time, _'It won't be long before he figures that out. I have to do something now, but what?'_ He racked his mind for any technique he learned that could give him some breathing room. He could push the kaioken, but his body would likely give out by the time he got far enough away, _'But I don't have any other choice!'_

He dodged another swing, fighting against the gust of wind the limb created as he landed on another rock formation, the sun blaring down on him forcing him to look away. _'That's it!'_ Gohan once again avoided another blow, this time losing his footing and nearly getting smashed on the follow up. When Vegeta turned his attention back to Goku, he sprang into action. Throwing a volley of energy blasts, Goku began to fly into the air instead of sticking to the cover of nature.

Vegeta turned his head to follow, hands reaching up to smash him, but instead, he got an eye full of sun. "Solar Flare!" Suddenly, the glare intensified, blinding Vegeta as he clutched his eyes howling in pain. Goku looked to Gohan, and then took off away from Vegeta. His son followed, and soon they were miles away.

"Gohan, stay away. I'm going to have to charge the spirit bomb, it's our only chance."

"The Spirit bomb? What's that?"

"I learned it from King Kai, not only does it use my power, but it also allows me to gather energy from nature. With it, we should be able to defeat him. But I need you to stay away. I can't guarantee it'll be enough time and we can't let him find us together."

Gohan frowned but obeyed, flying for a full ten seconds to his left before allowing himself to rest once more. He watched in fascination as his father took an unfamiliar stance, feet spread shoulder length with both arms raised into the air, his palms flat against the sky. While he was no master, Gohan could immediately see why this was a last resort, _'He's wide open. There's no way he could react fast enough to any attack.'_

Fascination turned to awe as he felt the energy gather. It was unreal, a steady stream of energy slowly flowed into his father until his body was bathed in a faint white glow. In the distance, Vegeta still thrashed and growled as the light from his eyes began to fade. Soon he was looking around, trying to hone in on his targets to take his revenge, "It looks like he's recovered, how much longer dad?"

Goku snapped to attention, "It's done. Man, this is incredible. All this energy from every living thing on the planet." He marveled at the energy for a little too long. Vegeta had seen them on the horizon, far but not unreachable. He could have easily jumped the distance and landed on them, but there was another, more entertaining option. Opening his mouth, Vegeta gathered his energy before firing it off from his mouth in a roaring beam of death.

Gohan yelled out in panic, as Goku froze in horror. The blast was enormous, Goku had to use a majority of the energy to shield himself in order to survive. Gohan was lucky enough to be clear of the beam, but the explosion still forced him to brace. Try as he might, he couldn't withstand the force and smashed into another formation.

The child picked himself up, body sore from the multiple engagements throughout the day and started towards where he felt his father's energy. He just managed to get to his feet when the world seemed to explode and rumble beneath him, a primal scream ripped from his father's throat, "DAAAD!"

Gohan found himself looking down on his father, Vegeta, removing his foot from his father's legs which lay crumbled and broken, "Hahaha, like music to my ears." The prince felt good, he'd finally delivered a debilitating blow. Without Kakarot, his son would be unable to hold out, "You might as well give up brat, you and your father are beaten."

"I'll never surrender to you, you monster!"

"Hahah then you'll die!" Suddenly, his ears twitched and he was airborne, jumping over a large yellow disc that sliced a few formations in two before it dissipated. Standing behind him dumbfounded, was Krillin. The monk fell to his backside when Vegeta landed, turning towards the human, "H-H-How did you avoid that, there's no way you sensed me!"

"Bwahahaha, you little fool. It was a good strategy, but too bad for you, my ears aren't just for show. In this state, all of my senses are enhanced as well. You'll never be able to sneak up-ugh." Earth's forces watched Vegeta's tail hit the ground, twitching and writhing, freshly severed from his body. Landing soon after, was Yajirobe, the forgotten rounin who quickly dashed into cover before his discovery.

Vegeta was outraged, roaring in fury and pain as his body began to shrink back to his original form, "Y-you fools! What have you done?!" His form wasn't the only thing to shrink. His power began to regress as well, falling at first to his previous level, before dropping even lower. Soon the prince was back to his humanoid form, angrily looking around, "That's it, you're all dead!"

Gohan smirked before jumping down, "I don't think so. You're weaker than before, I doubt you're up to the task."

Not to take any lip,the prince rushed the boy, and engaged him. Much to his chargain, he couldn't overwhelm him outright. His power had weakened with the loss of his tail, but his experience was more than enough to give him the advantage. The two continued their dance across the wasteland and away from Krillin who went to check on his friend. Goku was sweating from the pain, his consciousness fading in and out, "Goku….I can't believe you ended up like this. To think we're out of senzu beans."

Goku grunted in pain, but kept his smile, "Heheh, yeah, this is like Piccolo all over again. Only this time, I can't be the one to save us. But you can."

"W-w-what?! Gohan is fighting him now, he can beat him."

"No, I don't think so. Look," The two turned to watch the ongoing exchange as it kicked up again. At first it appeared that Gohan was doing well, he was matching Vegeta in speed and fending of multiple blows. But ever so slowly blows started to get through. The youngest member of the Son family was performing admirably. He achieved what no one but his father could do by keeping pace with the Saiyan, even in his weakened form. But the tide was still being turned against him, and soon Gohan was picking himself up off the ground, huffing from the effort.

"He' too skilled for Gohan to beat alone, that's where you come in. Here, give me your hand." Krillin did so, gasping in shock at the amount of energy that was transferred into him from the downed warriror, "Goku, where did you get this energy?! If you had this much to spare then maybe you should keep it."

"It's not mine, it's the Earth's. It's all that was left from the energy I gathered earlier, but he's weakened too, so it should do the trick. It's up to you to hit him."

Krillin gulped as he jumped onto the high ground to get a better view of his enemy. From below he heard Goku's voice, "Clear your mind, guide the energy into your hand, in the form of a ball." Following his friends instructions, Krillin began to focus on his breathing in an attempt to mediate. Soon he found the energy rushing to his hand, and with it a ball of blueish white energy formed in his hand.

 _'Great, I have it, but now I have to hit him with it.'_ The problem was, Vegeta was always in motion. He couldn't just have Gohan disengage, and there was no time to brief him on the plan. He was going to have to eyeball this and pick his best moment, _'But if I miss….'_

Another presence made itself known in his head, _'Don't force it.'_

 _'Oh boy, I'm going crazy. Hearing voices in my head is not a good sign.'_

 _'No you're not crazy. I'm king Kai, the one who trained Goku. When you can't trust your senses, you have to trust your intuition. Feel the flow of the battle, you'll know when the time is right.'_

Krillin didn't believe him, but he had no other option. His eyes just couldn't keep up, and try as he might, he could not predict Vegeta's movement. Closing his eyes, he reached out to feel their energy instead. Just as in the physical, their energies were rapid shifting, shrinking and raising to meet one another in the deadly dance. At first it was just as hard to track, but then Vegeta's energy began to come in clearer. Soon it was Krillin could feel, the rapid shifts and flow of his enemy, ' _Almost there….not yet…..just….have...to…...NOW!'_

Krillin opened his eyes and throw the orb for all his worth. It was only now that he noticed the situation. Gohan was slowly getting to his knees after losing the last exchange. Vegeta was gathering his power, likely to move in for the kill. As the prince ran towards the boy, he left himself open from behind. Without a scouter, there was no way Vegeta could sense the attack. His back was turned, and Krillin was in his blind spot. But those who survived enough battles, had a knack for telling when their life was in danger. Probably a sixth sense forged from the constant exposure. Whatever it was, for some reason, Vegeta looked back and saw his doom approaching. Rather than take it head on, he jumped out of the path.

Gohan was tired. Everything hurt. Only his training remained as he tried to climb to his feet. Piccolo ran him through the gauntlet, no rest came until their spar was finished. If he was too slow to get up, then his mentor would take advantage, "Rest when you're dead!" He could hear the echoes in his head, but then another voice, _'Gohan, you have to bounce it back.'_ Young eyes raising, he found a bright sphere of energy headed straight for him, the prince raising through the air as he avoided the attack, _'How? I don't have enough energy, dad.'_

 _'You have all that you need. Bounce it back Gohan, it shouldn't hurt you if you have no evil in your heart.'_

Trusting his father, Gohan raised his hands to meet the attack. When he made contact, a overwhelming amount of warmth rushed through him, searching but not harming. He could feel the energy, but instead of it breaking against him, it did the most intriguing thing. It pressed against his hands, like a rubber ball being caught. He didn't grip it though, instead he directed his hands towards Vegeta and watched in fascination as the attack went speeding towards the prince.

There was no time to react, no energy left to move. Vegeta was forced to watch, for the second time today, as another attack hit home on his person. Engulfed in agony, he once again shot into the sky, a primal scream on his lips.

Earth's defenders held their breath for a moment, and then, another. When they could no longer sense Vegeta's energy, they celebrated. Krillin was the most enthused, having the most energy left he went to assist Gohan, "Kid you were amazing! To think you could take on that tyrant one on one!"

Gohan laughed in relife, "Yeah, it was no picnic though. I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold out." Together they got over to Goku and exchanged praise at the hard fought victory. Somehow, they had managed to repel two of the most vicious foe's to ever walk the face of the Earth. Even Yajirobe came from hiding to congratulate them and take a little credit for having lended his support. Everything looked to be ok. Then Vegeta's body hit the ground.

Instantly, the fighters were on pins and needles. Was he alive? They couldn't sense his energy, but he had managed to live through powerful attacks before. Krillin was the one to investigate, walking over with caution as he flipped the saiyan on his back. He wasn't moving, and he looked to be dead, "He's gone, and good riddance. No one should have to look at such a ugly mug ever again."

"Whose mug is ugly?"

Krillin was taken back, shaking in fear as once again the prince rose from what should be defeat, "You ingrates, this shame will never wash away. Take pride in your efforts in the afterlife!" Gathering all the energy he could muster, Vegeta allowed it to explode around him as he tried to take them all out in one shot. The explosion was small, but powerful. When the dust finally settled, Vegeta stood panting, the rest of his battle strength gone with his last attack.

Snarling, he found that them still alive, injured but alive. His vision blurred, he resented this weakness but there was nothing to be done about it now. Reaching into his armor slot, he removed the remote for his ship before entering in the commands. As much as he hated to admit it, there was a time for pride and a time for retreat, "Be proud, you peasants have managed to survive against your betters. Look forward to my return, you won't survive the next time."

Goku grunted, "Vegeta…." The prince didn't answer, instead he collapsed into his pod, "I'll be ready for you, next time." This time, he got a reply, "Heh, to think one of the low born would ever talk to me in such a manner. Train hard, the gap between us has already increased in my favor."

And so, with Krillin and Gohan standing, Vegeta's pod rose into the sky and vanished.

End

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. As you can see, I've taken some liberties with Vegeta and his pride. I feel like the remaining Royalty of a dying race wouldn't be too eager to kill his kinsmen, even if they are low-class. Yeah, they are a warrior race and a weakling dying in battle is akin to an honorable death. But there is a difference between killing them because you have too, and killing them for sport. I've chosen to give him a bit more...leniency. Don't worry, he's still the ruthless scumbag we all love to hate, but his dynamic with his fellow saiyans will shift a bit.

Anyway, thank you all for you patience. Next up, Namek.


	10. Chapter 10

Earth's defenders didn't have to wait long for a rescue. Master Roshi felt the battle had ended, and since he could not longer feel Vegeta, it was concluded that they won. Victory had no come easy, he could barely feel either of his pupils energy at all. Luckily, Bulma was good with her capsules. When they arrived, it was to the exhausted collection of the fighters, down but laughing with their comrades.

There were no senzu beans, so healing had to be done the old fashioned way. They were taken to West City Hospital, surprised to find quite a few people much to Goku's confusion, "How did they know what was going on? It was only us out there." Krillin chuckled, "Actually, there was a few camera crews out there at the start. They managed to find us in the wastelands after the Saiyans leveled Yuza Town. They got quite a look until the fighting broke out."

Bulma smiled, "There were some other aircraft in the area like waiting to get an update. Guess when they saw us going in they decided to trail us."

The people wanted answers and Yajirobe was quick to adapt, which worked out well since he was the least injured. It also helped that he held a press conference before the whole attack happened, warning a small amount of people about the event. The questions came flooding in, "One at a time! Can't hear everything at once. You with the pink shirt,"

"West City News, Can you tell us just who it was that attacked Yuza Town and why they felt the need to?"

"Those two were aliens, Saiyans from a long dead planet. They came because a year ago, one of their comrades arrived and tried to take over, just like King Piccolo, but we managed to put a stop to all that. They came back because they wanted revenge." It wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't a lie either, _'No need to announce to the world about the Dragon Balls or Goku being an alien._ '

"What they did to Yuza town was a declaration of their arrival, and a challenge to the Earth. Next question, you lady with the green hair."

"Kasumi, North City News. During the conflict, one of the aliens, these Saiyans, managed to destroy an entire fleet of aircraft carriers and destroyed 35% of the King's Airforce before retreating. All this without any kind of equipment."

"It's a tragedy, that's for sure. Your question?"

"How did you manage to stop them? Our camera crews caught a few shots of the alien's lined up to fight against a collection of fighters. If they can do that to tanks and planes, how could fists and legs beat them?"

Yajirobe snorted, "You'd be surprised what we're capable off. In fact, I could slice a plane in half with nothing but my sword." He smiled as the crowd began to shout out questions in a flurry, "Calm down! It's not that big of a deal. Anyone who participated or witnessed any of the last three world martial arts tournaments can tell you that there are some extraordinary fighters out there. People capable of firing beams from their hands and flying around, breaking bricks with just a finger or moving at speeds faster than the eye could see."

The people began to murmur, the last tournament wasn't too long ago and the crisis of Piccolo was not easily forgotten.

"The truth is, we martial artists have saved the world a number of times. The destruction of the Red Ribbion Army, the defeat of King Piccolo nearly a decade ago, and his son's defeat 4 years ago. All of these were done by martial artists using their own strength." A hush fell over the crowd, similar to the stunned silence that nearly every home that tuned into their news broadcast. Their was little anyone could say to dispute his claims, but the camera's continued to click and record. Soon another hand was raised for a question.

"Izumi, Ginger town inquirer. After examining the footage, we were able to confirm the identification of previous world champion Tien Shinhan, and Ma Junior son of Piccolo. Are these allies of yours?"

"That's right! Tien is a strong fighter and ally. Ma Junior joined us to fight against a bigger threat. Both gave their lives to stop those Saiyans, along with several others. In the end, we were able to overwhelm the pair, killing one and forcing the other to retreat. The people being admitted here are the survivors of a death battle for the fate of our planet. They're heroes."

"I see…One more question?"

"Go on, I'll answer all questions."

"Why weren't you there when the fighting broke out?"

"Hahahaha well, you see…."

The next day, Krillin informed the others about his plan to revive their friends. Revealing to Piccolo's origin, it was determined that if Kami was able to make the Dragon Balls on Earth then it made sense for their home planet, Namek, to have a set as well. "If we go there, we'll be able to wish back our friends and restore the Earth's Dragon Balls as well."

The trouble was getting there. After finding the location from King Kai and having Bulma accidentally blow up a ship, things were looking grim until Mr. Popo showed. Guiding the scientist to the Namekian craft that Kami arrived in, Bulma revealed that in a few short weeks they would be set to travel, "It'll take some time to properly translate the controls and to plot a course."

Krillin allowed himself to smile, finally some good news, "That's perfect. We can get the Namekians to help us wish our friends back," He turned towards Goku, "Looks like you'll be missing out on this one buddy. You're gonna need to recover."

Gohan looked at his lap, gathering his courage as he spoke up, "I'm going too." As he expected, his mother was not on board with that plan.

"Absolutely not! I just got you and your father back after a year of being gone. Him dead and you being trained by that monster-"

"Mr. Piccolo isn't a monster! He's strict and doesn't hold back, but he isn't cruel. He trained me to help defend the Earth, to defend you." He paused as he remembered trying to leave the wasteland, to abandon Piccolo's training to return home to his mother.

"I could have come home, mom. I could have sat by and watched, but Piccolo helped me realize something. He helped me see that if I had the power to fight, then I had to. Not because I wanted to, but because I wanted to protect my home. Dad was coming back, but who knew if he would be strong enough. If I weren't there…"

"If Gohan wasn't there, we would all have been killed."

The room turned their attention to Goku, who lay covered in bandages in bed, "I trained as hard as I could. Much harder than anything I've done before, but it wasn't enough. Vegeta took all my best shots and kept coming, I really didn't know what else to do. I was scared having Gohan by my side, but without him the Earth would have been destroyed. I know you don't like the idea of him fighting, Chi-Chi, but he's one of the best on the planet."

Chi-Chi felt her face soften, she had no idea what happened on that battlefield, but she knew it couldn't have been easy. Still, "I'm proud of Gohan for choosing to fight. I didn't know you chose that. All I got was a message from Roshi that Gohan had been abducted and you were killed fighting what was going to be a two part battle against aliens. I know Gohan has power, and I know that he's stronger than any normal person, but that doesn't mean he always have to fight!"

"And I don't want to." Chi-Chi turned towards her son in shock, "You don't?"

Gohan shook his head before looking his mother in the eye, "No, I don't. I thought I wanted to fight like dad does, sparring with friends and pushing beyond your limits. But real combat is terrifying. One slip and it could mean death, always balancing on the edge with your senses razor sharp. I don't want to ever have to do that again." There was a pause as he gathered his resolve, "But I know I have to this time. For all of our friends that died to protect us, for Piccolo who sacrificed himself to protect me. I have to go mom. I have to pay them back."

Chi-Chi looked at her little boy in wonder. Never had she felt so proud and so sad at the same time. As a mother, she mourned the loss of her son's innocence. He'd seen the horrors of battle that she herself feared after only a small brush with it. Seen it and survived it. As a warrior, she couldn't be prouder. He wasn't some fighting junkie like his father, kami love him, but he knew he had a responsibility to protect what he loved. That was the kind of boy they raised him to be. But it didn't mean she couldn't do it on her terms.

"I understand, you can go."

"R-really?!"

"How could I say no after all that? However, you're going to prepare MY way. I won't have my baby going to risk his life unprepared." Chi-Chi walked over and kissed him on the forehead before turning towards the door, "You rest now Gohan. The doctor is going to release you in a few days. When he does, your training will begin." With that she walked out leaving the others stunned. She had a call to make.

"We're picking up a ship entering our Solar System."

"Friendly?"

"Yes, running ID through our system. Ah, it's Vegeta. Strange, he and Nappa both went to retrieve another Saiyan from Earth, but he's alone."

"That is odd. What is his status?"

"My god, he's on life support. His vitals are low and his power level is even lower, I'm dispatching a medical team to meet him!"

The creature began pulling up all the information they collected on the mission, "Earth is on the edge of our maps, near the edge of the universe. Their technology is primitive compared to ours and last we checked their power levels are among the weakest recorded, what the hell happened down there?"

Vegeta's vision blurred before he found himself face to face with Kakarot. The fool was smirking at him, challenging his might and placement in their society, _'You're a nobody, low-class scum. So how….'_ His mind replayed their fight before his eyes. Every taunt, every hit, every exchange lost, _'How did I lose to you!?'_

His eyes snapped open as the fluid drained from around his body. He felt a tube retreat from his throat and into the mask that he ripped off his face as he fell from the rejuvenation tank. He ignored the hands extended to help him to his feet. Instead he turned to the chief medical officer and took the scouter from his hand, "How long?"

"Two weeks. It was looking bad, we almost lost you a few times. I'm sorry, but we aren't able to accelerate the growth of your tail. Whatever data we had on the Saiyan biology was purged from our systems when your planet was destroyed, and I'm afraid I never learned much about it in my studies."

"Don't worry, it isn't necessary." He knew what he had to do in order to regrow his tail and that was all that mattered. Flexing his limbs, Vegeta allowed a smirk to grace his features before it fell away. He was stronger now, and ready to return to Earth. He'd settle things once and for all, immortality could wait.

Entering the locker room, he found a new set of armor waiting for him. A different model, more modern without the bulky shoulder pads, but still durable. Fully clothed and armored, he placed the scouter on and informed mission control to prep a pod for him. He was on his way when a came across a familiar face.

"Well well well, the prince is awake. Did you enjoy your beauty sleep?"

Cui, the purple alien who mistakenly thought himself as Vegeta's equal "I don't have time to deal with you weakling, stand aside."

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I've business to tend to, none of it yours."

"It wouldn't happen to be on Namek, would it?"

That stopped Vegeta cold, "What did you say?"

"Frieza heard everything from your little visit to Earth. Did you really think switching off your communications would be enough? He's had you bugged ever since that little incident three years ago."

Vegeta ground his teeth, of course that bastard would hack into his scouter, "Don't worry Vegeta, he's not mad. In fact, you've given him a gift that no one could top, a way to immortality."

"Dam him!"

Not wasting any more time, Vegeta ran to his pod and quickly changed the coordinates. Every ship was programmed with the location of every planet known to the Galactic Army, Namek was a month away and Frieza had already departed a week ago. He would have to hurry.

Ship blasting off into the cosmos, Vegeta never saw Cui smirking as his own Pod was being prepped, "Sir, Vegeta is headed to Namek. Understood, permission to pursue? Yes. I understand….I will not fail."

A few days passed.

The Briefs were well underway with their project with the Namekian spacecraft. Capsule Corp was a buzz with activity day and night, with serval workers or machines working round the clock. Dr. Briefs even managed to locate Goku's pod to analyze and replicate on a larger scale. One could never have too many spaceships when his daughter was going out into the unknown.

To stay close to Goku, the Son family had been living on the compound. On the first morning since his discharge from the hospital, Gohan found himself in his gi standing in front of his grandfather, his mother, and Master Roshi, "Woah, are you going to be training me like my dad?"

The old turtle hermit laughed, "Well, something like that."

Ox King smiled, "I wanted to save this for when you were a little older, but now is as good a time as any. For two years now I've been working with Master to break down our old family techniques. After reading over the notes, I didn't really understand most of how it was supposed to work, but Master Roshi was able to understand it easily!"

"It wasn't too difficult. Most of what your ancestors left behind was accounts of techniques they used to seal or vanquish demons, not true martial arts. I was only able to replicate one, but given the timeframe, I doubt you'd be able to handle more."

Gohan was excited, "So I'm going to learn Ox style?"

Chi-Chi laughed, "No, not yet at least. It would take years for your to learn a new style, you only learned how to fight recently."

Master Roshi picked up, "Your mother and grandfather approached me to help solidify your foundation and teach you a new technique. I doubt Piccolo was sloppy with his training, but I'm sure there are still a few tricks I can teach you." He passed his cane over to the Ox King who took it and moved a few steps back along with Chi-Chi, "Now, show me what you can do."

Gohan shifted into a loose stance. There were no inhibitions about fighting his elder, Piccolo made sure that he was always on guard no matter the appearance of his opponent. He initiated the match closing the distance between them with ease before attacking with a volley of fists. Master Roshi was quicker than he looked, avoiding some blows and redirecting others. Gohan expected as much, so he began in earnest with attacks directed towards the body instead, adding feints and kicks into his combinations.

Roshi seemed to be taking it fine, shifting his body to avoid attacks before peppering Gohan's guard with light attacks. Gohan smirked, they were easy enough to block and it he responded by turning up the speed of his attacks, hoping to catch him off guard.

The bout began to evolve into a full on display of everything short of ki attacks in his arsenal. Every maneuver and technique brought to bare against the turtle hermit who never once took a clean hit. Gohan was astonished. He knew he was faster than Roshi, but somehow his limbs were always there to block or deflect. Roshi seemed to literally dance around his attacks, but only pressed Gohan enough to force him on the defensive. Even when it seemed that Gohan was having trouble keeping up, Roshi didn't increase the pressure. Finally he called for it to end.

Gohan was a little put out, "I don't understand, how did none of my attacks hit you?"

Master Roshi laughed it off as he retrieved his cane, "Don't feel bad, you're better than you think." He stopped to take a breath and steady his breathing, "Piccolo taught you well, but you need more experience. While your attacks are sharp, there are still wasted movements. You're using the style but you don't truly understand the reason for all of your movements."

He took a seat on the ground and signaled for Gohan to do the same. They both sat with their legs crossed as he continued, "Martial arts is about learning to master yourself. Through there you gain access to all that you will ever need, remember this. But learning to master yourself is, like life, more than just fighting. Focus too much on simply combat, you'll find yourself struggling beat even the simplest of opponents."

"You must enjoy the world and learn from it. Knowledge and strength make are the things of warriors, but you must also learn to live in the moment, to stop and enjoy what the world has to offer. Surely Piccolo has taught you to meditate?"

Gohan nodded, absorbed in the lecture, "He did. He told me it was important to learn how to access and control my ki."

"True, but it has another purpose. Meditation helps the body rest and recover, allowing you to receive the full fruits of your training. There are many lessons, Gohan. If you're willing to accept me as a teacher,I believe you can learn them well."

"I'll do my best."

Roshi let out a bellowing laugh, "Good good. The first lesson will start with your mother. Seems you've got quite a bit of homework to catch up on."

End

A/N: Well well well. Look who took some liberties. I was thinking about where to go with this fic (well more like how to get there) and I realized that I really don't like the fact for the majority of DBZ, Roshi, Ox king, and practically every other fighter that isn't a Saiyan, are pretty much discarded as trash. I figured I could give them a little personality. Chi-Chi not being a raging bitch for no real reason is one of them.

I also wanted to expand on the Roshi being a martial arts master a bit more. I mean, the guy was the student of one of the strongest people on the earth. And he also drank from the fountain of you so he's lived an extraordinary long life. Hell, he invented the Kamehameha.


	11. Chapter 11

Every day, Gohan woke before the sun rose over the horizon to go through his katas and meditate followed by breakfast. He would then either spar with Roshi or perform some type of job that the old master had set up. They usually required him to help people deal with dangerous tasks. Like helping a farmer bring his crops through the dino infested wastelands, or working alongside the police on patrol.

The use of ki was forbidden, save for the most extreme of circumstances, which meant that he had to use both his skills and his brain to solve some of the issues. He was still leaps and bounds ahead of anyone he encountered, but the practice helped him solidify his grasp of techniques. For three weeks he kept up this pace, until one day Bulma declared that the ship was done. They were ready for Namek.

Now Gohan stood before the restored Namekian ship, his hair trimmed into a bowl cut at his mother's insistence. He was able to keep his gi on, thankfully, after explaining that there was probably not going to be a need for his Sunday best. Krillin arrived in jeans and a t-shirt, hat on his head and bag at the ready. Bulma was the only one in a space suit, the annoyance on her face was hard to miss.

"Make sure you don't eat any strange food."

"I won't, mom."

"And make sure you get plenty of rest."

"I will, mom."

Chi-Chi could only watch as he little boy stood on the ship's platform, ready to raise into its bowels and shoot of into space. She wanted to grab him and smother him in a hug until all thoughts of leaving left him, but she restrained herself. In the last three weeks she'd seen a sliver of what he was capable of as a martial artist. It helped soothe her anxieties to know that her little boy can defend himself, but she still would rather he didn't have to. She took solace in the fact that he didn't enjoy fighting on the same level as his father, he would not turn into a martial arts bum. Not on her watch, anyway. With one final wave, she watched her son disappear into the alien ship, eyes blurring from the tears gathering.

Gohan marveled at the ship. He'd never seen anything like it, an assortment of flashing lights and sounds that threatened to overwhelm him. There were only three rooms, counting the cockpit they were in. He'd have plenty of time to explore them, as the journey was projected to take weeks.

Krillin broke him from his gaze with a small nudge, "Amazing isn't it? Just a few weeks ago this thing was covered in moss and could only understand Namekian. Goes to show you that despite their personalities, they really are geniuses."

"What was that?!"

Gohan and Krillin flinched as they turned to face a frowning Bulma, "Eh, I was just saying how lucky we are to have such a brilliant scientist as a friend."

"Humph, I thought so. Now sit down, strap in, and shut up." She brushed past and took her seat at the helm, while Gohan and Krillin exchanged a sigh of relief before following suit. Gohan barely got himself strapped in before the ship lurched skyward, pressing him against the seat as his innards seemed to fly into his throat. It was a novel sensation, nothing like flying as he was used too. The observation window streaked blue for just a moment before the ship escaped Earth's orbit, thrusting them into the void that is space.

The novelty of space travel quickly wore thin, so that left the five year old to explore the rest of the ship. He quickly found that the room to the back was Bulma's and strictly off limits unless it was an emergency. The other room held a number of capsules filled with rations and supplies. Bulma pointed out a set of capsules that held training supplies for the two of them. Weights, equipment, gloves, headgear, jump ropes, and countless other devices, as well as a capsule full of books, both suggested by Chi-Chi. Gohan made a mental note to thank his mother profusely when he got back.

Two weeks into the journey and he'd gotten through three of the books one on mathematics, biology, and history. He was currently working on a book regarding planets and animals. His training was going well enough, he worked out with Krillin on most days and spared often, though it wasn't much as they didn't have a lot of room to maneuver. After a kick landed that sent Gohan flying into the observation window, Bulma quickly prohibited any and all fighting. Krillin, ever resourceful, introduced Gohan into the practice of image training.

"Image training? Like using my imagination?"

The monk laughed, "You're not far off. It's one of the perks of ki manipulation, and Kami trained us on how to do it. You can only do it with two people, and you have to be willing. It's a meditative trance that allows us share a mental space of sorts. It'll be easier to show you rather than try to explain. Piccolo ever have you meditate?"

Gohan nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, he said it was important to learn how to properly manipulate energy."

Krillin nodded, "That's good! Start with that, you'll feel it from there." The two of them fell silent as Gohan released his concerns as he cleared his mind from distractions. Gohan found himself in the familiar setting. A chamber filled with water, a door slightly ajar on the left wall where he could hear the churning waters.

He approached the door, hoping to find a glimpse of who waited on the other side, the hand that had awakened his power so vividly against Vegeta. But it seemed to be a one time occurrence. It had yet to appear again no matter how frequent his visits and the door remained firm in his attempts to yield more space, however, there was one small change. The water from the other room was now coming into his room at an increased rate. At first it seemed like a few drops here and there when the waters got rough. Now, there was a small trickle of murky water constantly pouring into the room. Gohan hoped it was a good sign, but whatever the case, it didn't seem to have any effect on his power.

A gentle nudge brought him from his thoughts, and when he looked over, he found Krillin standing next to him.

"Krillin? Why'd you wake me up?"

"I didn't. Look around," Turning, Gohan felt his eyes widen as he took in the sight of thousands of stars glimmering in the darkness. He was no longer under water, but instead standing on an invisible plane while the universe shimmered around them.

"Wow, what is this place?"

Krillin chuckled, "This is the shared plane I was talking about. We're not really in each other's heads, but we're in a neutral space created for us by us."

"Wait, you mean I helped create this place? I don't even know how it works!"

"It's because I lead the way. Your mind and energy is at rest, but it isn't dormant. In this state, I was able to coax your ki into completing the bridge, connecting the both of us together," Krillin then pat him on the back, "You can learn it pretty easily, but you can only do it with friends. If I was intent to do you harm, then you'd naturally resist me and the whole thing would fail."

Seeing the confusion on Gohan's face, Krillin moved on, "Don't worry too much about it. Just know that we can train here without any physical repercussions."

"So we can't get hurt, but we can't get stronger? Why bother then?"

"It's mental training. You trained a little with Master Roshi, did he have a chance to tell you the credo of the Turtle School?"

Gohan nodded as he remembered the old man's words, "Eat well, play well, learn well

,and rest well, the key to Turtle School training." Then, "So this would be learning well?"

"That's right! We can't train our bodies, but we can train our minds. How you approach a fight is just as important as your power. Look at Vegeta and Nappa. They were stronger than all of us, yet because we used our heads, we were able to take 'em down. Power has its place, but it isn't the most important piece in a fight." He shifted his feet and lowered himself into a fighting stance, "Now show me what you've got, no holding back!"

Gohan gave a grunt as he brought himself into his fighting stance before launching himself at his bald opponent.

* * *

Goku was in pain. 'No,' he thought, 'Not pain. What was the word Gohan said again? Agathy? Apathy?' He tried in vain to remember the word but it never appeared which was tragic as he felt that it fit him well at this point. His physical injuries had long since subsided in their pain. Yeah, he ripped his muscles to shreds and his bones were severely broken, but his tolerance for pain was apparently much higher than most, and it wasn't like he hadn't been in this position before so he could endure.

What was really driving him bonkers was the lack of movement. He knew he wasn't at 100%, heck, he probably wasn't even at 50%, but the hospital didn't care. They ordered him to remain in bed, even going as far as to try and bind him to the bed. It worked, only because Chi-Chi was there to wrangle in her husband, but the moment she left the nurses found him on the floor attempting his 75th one-arm push-up.

He couldn't help himself. He'd been training for as long as he could remember. Hell, one of his first memories was Grandpa Gohan taking him through a basic workout. As a kid he just couldn't sit still, but martial arts training brought him patience both on and off the battlefield. Apparently, 2 months with no real workout was his limit.

When Master Roshi entered the room in his sunday best with a small package, it was to the sight of his former student with one leg out the window as he tried to make his escape. No doubt onto a waiting Nimbus cloud below, "Goku, you're only going to make things worse if you don't let yourself rest. Come on back inside and spend some time with an old man. I even managed to smuggle in some food for you."

Reluctantly, the saiyan hobbled his way back into his bed with a huff, taking a the food. It was a small amount, basically inhaled by the black hole that was his mouth and stomach, "I just can't stand it, Master Roshi. Vegeta is out there recovering, who knows when he'll return. Heck he might even be healed already! I wasn't strong enough before, without training, I'm not going to be strong enough when he comes back."

Master Roshi allowed himself a frown, "Yes, he's unlike any opponent I've ever experienced. From what you've told me he makes King Piccolo appear to be nothing more than a arrogant child," he shifted around, trying to get comfortable in the hard plastic chair, "But there's nothing for it. If you try to push yourself before you're healed it'll only make it worse."

Goku sighed, "You're right, I probably wouldn't get much out of training as I am now." He stared out the window onto the horizon, looking for something he could not see, "I just hope Gohan, Krillin and Bulma are able to find the Dragon Balls without too much trouble."

"I'm sure the three of them will get it done. Bulma is smart enough to figure it out. With both Krillin and Gohan to protect her, I'm sure they'll be fine."

At the mention of his son Goku couldn't help but smile, "I still can't believe how strong he is. He's only 5, but he was already strong enough to compete with Vegeta. Even if he wasn't at his best, that's still leagues above where I was at his age."

Roshi nodded, "He's something else, that's for sure." The master adopted a thoughtful expression that wasn't lost to Goku.

"What's wrong? Did you notice something during training?"

Roshi paused again before he spoke,"He's a lot like you were as a child, but Chi-Chi's influence has helped a lot. He catches on quick and seems to adapt to new methods fairly quick. Piccolo must have worked him to the bone for him to make so much progress in just a year."

"I'll say. He used the demon style like a pro, and he's even able to pull of the Masenko. But why did you pause?"

"I couldn't help but to compare Gohan to my previous pupils, you included. He's a marvelous boy, of that there is no doubt. We only spared a few times, but it took everything I had to keep ahead of him. Krillin is going to be working with him during the journey, by the time he gets back I'll be no match."

Goku frowned, "Are you sad that you can't get stronger?"

The master laughed, "Oh I can still get stronger, just not as fast as I used to. No I'm just feeling a like an empty nester. Master Mutaito used to say, 'A master is hardly a master, without students.' I didn't know what he meant then, but I understand it now. I knew my generation's time as the strongest was over as I watched your fight with Tien during the finals of the World Tournament. The two of you were on a different plateau, one that not I or any of my rivals had a chance of reaching and that made me happy. I thought my time training new pupils was over, you've all exceeded my limitations and I thought that I had nothing else to offer, but it felt good to help mold another young fighter."

"It sounds like you just need to find another student."

Roshi chuckled, "Maybe...Well, if you can't train your body, train your mind. You were never too good with meditation, why not take this time to get better acquainted with that aspect of training?"

Goku groaned, "Awe, but I don't like meditation. I've done it loads both with Kami and King Kai, to help with techniques and control, but it's still boring."

Roshi shifted his glasses, the light shimmering across the lens for a moment, "Yes, it goes a long way to help you control you ki and learning new techniques. However those are not the only benefits. It also helps with recovery. I've used it countless times to recover, especially in my later years. I doubt it will be instantaneous, but it could be the difference of days or even weeks."

At this, Goku's eyes lit up, "Really?" He tried to recall the other times his teachers forced him to meditate, "Now that I think about it, King kai and Kami both had me meditate after doing a lot of physical training. I just thought it was because it was easier to get control of my ki when I was tired."

"Hehehe, yes, there is truth to that." Removing his hat, Master Roshi moved the chair closer to the bed, "Come, I'll guide the meditation. Close your eyes and we'll begin." It would serve the Hermit well.

* * *

Gohan grunted as he picked himself up off the invisible plane, eyes skyward as he focused on his opponent before charging after him, aura ablaze. Krillin frowned as he held his ground. The toddler charged him headlong, using his small stature to move in fast and attempt to drive his fist into the monk's gut, but a timely flip avoided the attack and he was rewarded with kick to the back of the head that sent him crashing back down.

Krillin followed him down, slowing as he realized that Gohan was slow to get to his feet. Extending his hand, Krillin helped the boy to his feet, "Alright, that's enough for now."

Gohan found himself inhaling sharply, his breath labored and a light sweat on his brow as he looked around. He was back on the ship, Krillin sitting cross legged in front of him. He took a moment to get his breathing under control, a small comfort to his pride as he heard Krillin doing the same.

"Man you're amazing, I didn't have any room to breath."

Gohan sighed, "Yeah, but you still beat me. Your so fast, barely any of my attacks got through."

Krillin smiled, "Nah, you're fast enough."

A thoughtful frown marred his face, "Too many wasted movements then. Master Roshi said the same thing and I've been working on it, but I guess I need more practice."

"Don't feel bad, your dad and I had the same issue when we were starting out. It took a while before I was able to get over that particular wall."

"Do you have any advice?"

The monk rubbed his bald head in thought, "I think you could really benefit from being less direct with your attacks."

"What do you mean?",Gohan asked confused.

"What is the best way to attack your opponent?"

Taken back by the question, Gohan paused as he gave it some thought, "The point of attacking is to damage your opponent, so I guess the best way to attack is whatever way works."

"Ok, so then how do you know what way works?"

"Hmm, well I guess it comes down to their style?"

Krillin was about to respond but stopped when Gohan suddenly started speaking again, "No, that's not right. I didn't know Vegeta's style, and I probably won't know every opponents style so I can't count on that. I guess the only way to know is trial and error!"

Brought up short, the monk could only laugh, "Its easy to forget that even though you're Goku's son, you're a lot different in your thinking. Trial and error is part of it, but there's something more that your missing. You don't have to answer now, take some time and think it over." Standing he moved towards the other room, "I'm gonna take a shower and get some food going."

Gohan grunted from the floor, rooted in place as his mind was ablaze with thought, _'I don't get it. He said trial and error was just a part of it, but I don't get how else I could know the best way to attack someone.'_ If he limited to just people he's fought before, he could probably take a few educated guesses on what would work on them. Piccolo was crafty, but if you countered him, he usually went on the defensive and so you could catch him during the transition. Nappa relied on his brute strength and speed, with little to no techniques, avoiding him and peppering him with small attacks would only rile him up until he slipped up and ate a big one.

 _'_ _But I only found that out after fighting them, or watching them fight. How could I know this before hand?'_ By the time Krillin called him for dinner, he still hadn't found an answer.

AN: Sorry I'm late. Been an..eventful few months. Lots of changes and, well, drama. Nothing too eventful with this chapter, but I'm working on something with Namek. Here's hoping you like it.

Also, thank you, everyone, for your patience. I know I'm not the most consistent, but I'm glad that you are still with me. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Happy new year~


	12. Chapter 12

Gohan stood in marvel alongside his companions as they looked upon the planet below. It was big, slightly bigger than the Earth if the instruments the Briefs' have installed on the ship were correct. Bulma scrambled away and returned moments later, Dragon Radar in hand. She clicked it twice, each time with no response, but the last click to extend the range to the fullest and sure enough the familiar beeping of a detected Dragon ball Rang out, "Looks like you hunch was right, we've got Dragon Balls down there!"

Gohan gave a shout of joy, "Then we're really going to be able to bring them back to life! It won't take long at all. I wonder if the Namekians are all like ?"

Bulma approached the Captain's chair with a smirk, "Alright, let's strap in and get planetside!"

"Hold on,"

The pair turned towards Krillin, "What is it Krillin?"

"Yeah, what's the hold up?"

Standing with his back to them, Krillin continued to stare at the planet in silent horror, "Gohan, reach out with you senses. I'm hoping you'll tell me I'm just going bonkers."

Returning to the window, Gohan opened his senses and reached out. He felt a lot of energy signatures, some bigger than others, but at this range he couldn't really feel them fully. All in all it seemed normal, "I don't…." And then he felt it. A feeling of immense dread filled the pit of his stomach, an audible gasp leaving his throat as he took a few steps back as he recoiled from the feeling, "That's….impossible."

Bulma frowned, "What is it? Is Vegeta down there?"

Krillin shook his head, "No, I wish it were him. Whoever's down that has more power than Vegeta 100 times over, and then some."

Bulma brightened up, "Well then what's the problem? It's probably one of the Namekians. We might not even have to deal with them."

"No, I don't think it's a Namekian."

"Maybe you're just being negative, Krillin."

"He's right," Gohan shook as he continued to stare at planet, forcing himself to reel in his senses before turning to Bulma, "That energy, it's not just strong, but it's evil. I can feel the cruelty in the aura. Whoever is down there, they're not friendly and something tells me there not here by chance."

At this point Bulma was starting to get the picture, "Y-you think that who ever is down there wants the Dragon Balls?!"

"We shouldn't rule anything out. We don't know anything about how life works out here in space. Raditz was able to transmit his sigal to Vegeta and that other brute, who knows who else was listening in when they were fighting us. It could be unrelated," the monk then shot Bulma a sheepish smile, "But when is it ever unrelated when the Dragon balls are involved?"

Bulma collapsed into her chair, "Great. So what, we turn around and go home?" She was not looking forward to 12 straight weeks of travel couped up in this ship. They spent the next several minutes reflecting on this new development before a plan began to form.

Krillin was pacing, "Can the Dragon Radar see if there are any Dragon Balls gathered together?"

Bulma shook her head, "No, we're still too far out to get specifics. All its saying is that all 7 are in the direction of the planet."

Krillin frowned, "We need to get down there and get a handle on the situation. If we're lucky, they won't have all 7 or a way to track them at all. All we need to do is get one to prevent them from making their wish."

The blue haired scientist raised her brow, "And then what? If they're looking for the Dragon Balls all you're going to do is put a target on our back. You already said they're strong, what are you going to do if they come looking?!"

"Well, maybe they don't have to find us."

The two adults turned their attention to the toddler who had a pensive scrunching up an otherwise youthful face, "If they're anything like Vegeta, they don't have the ability to sense energy. If we're able to sneak away one dragon ball, we could put it on the ship and have Bulma go to a nearby planet so that they don't find us."

Bulma brightened up, "That's perfect! That will buy us some time for Goku to get here! Dad was supposed to be building a new ship with all that we learned the ship Goku crashed in when he landed on Earth. I'll bet he's close to finishing it. Once we land, I can set up the equipment to send a signal back home to let them know what's going on."

Krillin nodded as well, "I like your style, Kid. If we keep our energy low, we should be able to avoid detection from their radars," He turned his attention to Namek, "If we're lucky, we might be able to avoid this guy altogether. I'm not even sure Goku is going to be enough to take on whoever's down there."

Plan in mind, the Earthlings made their way planetside.

The landing went of without a hitch. With Krillin and Gohan's help, Bulma was able to find a secluded spot to set down. She began to put on her spacesuit again, but much to her irritation, she found both Krillin and Gohan outside in their normal clothes. She wanted to berate them, but she instead growled and began setting up the equipment to make a call to her father.

Not long after they touched down, they were discovered by a pair of warriors sporting the same armor as the Saiyans that came to Earth. They weren't strong, probably about the same power level as the Saibamen. Thankfully, their caution and diligence left them prepared to make quick work of the grunts before the situation escalated further.

Gohan pat his legs to knock of the dirt that kicked up from the small scrap, "Well, that was easy en-" he was cut off as he found Krillin's hand over his mouth.

"What are you nuts?! Do you really wanna jinx-" A loud screech split the sky as not one but two pods raced through the air, twin booms echoing from the landing miles away. Both of the beings on the pods were strong, stronger than either of the Earthlings, "us. See, now look at what you did!"

Gohan had the decency to look sheepish as he focused on the arriving powers. One of them was familiar, "It's Vegeta, no doubt about it."

"Dam it. Whoever he's with, is just as strong as he is. Looks like we're really behind the eight ball on this one." Soon after the words left his mouth, the Dragon Radar pinged to life as Four of the mystic orbs began to approach them at rapid speed, "Get in cover!"

Diving behind a raised plateau, Gohan and Krillin watched in horror as a horned creature in a floating chair raced across the sky, surrounded by aliens of all shapes and sizes. Among them, were four dragon balls. They were 3 times as big as those on Earth, but the Golden orange color with crimson stars signifying their number was easily recognizable.

In a matter of moments they were gone, over the horizon towards more power levels on the ground. Likely, a Namekian village. Gohan was the first to regain the power of speech, "Krillin…"

"Yeah, I felt it Gohan. That horned thing, he's the source of that monstrous power. They already have four Dragon balls, "He glanced down at the radar once more, "And headed for another. We've got to follow them, see just what the heck is going on."

The pair returned to Bulma who looked to be just about finished with setting up the radio, "Hey I was just about to call dad, what's up?"

"Bulma do we have a portable radio? Something we could use to get in contact with you?"

Smiling, Bulma pulled out a capsule and threw it on the ground. When the smoke cleared, there was a small metal container with a slew of technology stored inside. Bulma grabbed three small buds and handed one to Gohan and Krillin, "I built these a while ago. They're small transmitters, with a built in microphone and speaker. Just place it in your ear like so," She slipped the small bud into her ear, "And just place a finger on the Capsule Corp. Logo to activate the microphone. Testing."

Gohan heard her voice echo through the device clear as day, "Wow, that's amazing. How far out do they work?"

Bulma smirked, "At first they were only reliable within 500 miles or so, but when I broke down the scouter and figured out how they were able to transmit and receive their signals I was able to extend its range significantly. I should be able to hear you guys so long as I stay near this section of the solar system."

Krillin smiled as a plan formed in his head, "Perfect this is exactly what we needed."

"Need for what?"

"There are a lot of strong people on this planet. We don't know their motives, but we do know that Vegeta is hostile and I'm almost sure that the ones gathering the dragon balls aren't friendlies. Gohan and I are going to investigate, but it's clear that they have men spread out all over the planet. If you're in space, there is a good chance they'll leave you alone and worst comes to worst you can lose them in the ship."

Gohan nodded in understanding, "I get it. Rather than just leave Bulma and the ship unprotected, we can have them safe in space"

"So then the radios are for you guys to call me for extraction when you need it? Take a dragon ball, go into space and wait for Goku to arrive or plan our next move."

Krillin smiled, "Exactly. So, will it work?"

"Yeah, it should be easy. I'll go ahead and get up into orbit, there is a small moon not far from here, I think I'll stay near it just incase more traffic comes to this planet. Don't want to be seen by reinforcements afterall. I've got plenty of food and the ship has more than enough energy. Those transmitters are also broadcasting your location," she held up a rectangular device with a black screen. When she powered it on, there were three blinking blips similar to the dragon radar, "Just let me know when to come for you and I'll be there."

As Bulma entered the ship and lifted off into space, she saw Gohan and Krillin dashing across the landscape as they headed for the group gathering Dragon Balls.

* * *

Vegeta exited his pod and began to inspect his surroundings. His scouter flashed to life as it took in noticeable power levels in range. He was quickly made aware of the location of Freeza and his bodyguards, some small power levels that likely belonged to the Namekians and of course, "Kui. What do you think you're doing following me here?"

The purple alien wore a smirk as he descended to the ground, touching down a few feet away, "My job, of course. Freeza wanted me to keep an eye on you, to make sure you didn't get any wild thoughts."

"Oh, and what pray tell, are the wild thoughts he's worried about?"

Kui cackled, "Lord Freeza doesn't have to worry about anything, especially nothing concerning you pitiful Saiyans. He did however give me permission to eradicate you from existence if you moved to interfere with his plans. So, are you here to help Lord Freeza gather the Dragon Balls?"

This time, it was Vegeta's turn to smirk, "As if, I've come to collect them for myself. Once I get my wish, Freeza will soon be dealt with, and I shall reign supreme over the known universe."

Kui chuckled, "Well, that would certainly interfere with Lord Freeza's goals. Looks like I can finally put you down, Vegeta."

That was his only warning as Kui closed the distance, striking out with a flurry of punches. The two began to exchange blows at high speed, the clash of energies kicking up dirt as they vied for dominance. Neither of them were able to land a clean blow, it was either parried or blocked out right. The stalemate continued until finally Kui landed a punch, snapping Vegeta's head back as he skid to a halt a few feet away.

Kui laughed as he straightened up, "Give it up Vegeta, there is no way you can win. Our power levels are even, but I'm the better fighter. Why not just give up and beg Lord Freeza for forgiveness? Not that he'll grant it, but hey, maybe he'll give you a swift death!"

Kui's laughter could be heard echoing across the plains. He found himself joined by Vegeta, who was also cackling ominously, "Laughing in the face of certain death, have you finally lost it?

Vegeta laughed for a moment longer before his cold eyes found their way to his purple opponent, "You know Kui, I hate to say it, but I've actually enjoyed our little rivalry. There was hardly anyone outside of Freeza's special forces that didn't cower before me, but you did always manage to keep up. It was fun, toying with you for all this time."

Kui growled, "Toy with me?! You're a fool, you couldn't best me if you tried, our levels are even!"

"Oh really? Well, they certainly might have been when I left, but why don't you activate your scouter and find out?" Vegeta then began to gather his energy, a grunt of effort as he continued to raise his power.

Kui activated his scouter, sure of the reading as it began to climb, '11'000…...14,000 heh he's approaching his maximum, 18'000 is where it'll stop.' Only it didn't stop, '18'000….wait 19,000? It's still going!' With a yell, Vegeta released his energy, a great wind surrounding them before it fell away into an eerie calm.

"So tell me Kui, are we still even?"

Kui was shell shocked, "24,000…how is this possible?! Where did you get that power!?"

"Don't tell me you didn't know? I suppose it's something a lot of the newer members of the Freeza force wasn't aware of. After all, there aren't more than a handful of Saiyan's left, if any outside of the those that I know about. You see Kui, Saiyan's are a true warrior race, not like those imitators who claim to be bred for battle. Not only do we enjoy the thrill of battle, but we are ever evolving. When a Saiyan is defeated in combat, he gets stronger. Doesn't matter if he is pushed to the brink of death, so long as he does not die, they will come back stronger than before."

Kui was backing away from the Saiyan, his skin covered in a thin layer of cold sweat as he took in the prince's words, "Defeat makes Saiyans stronger? Then, you're battle on Earth…."

"Ended with my defeat. I won't lie to you, a lower class Saiyan and his half-breed son were too much for me alone. Combined with a few annoying Earthling's,they bested me, forcing me to retreat and lick my wounds. If I were a weaker Saiyan, I wouldn't have survived the journey back. But I am the prince of all Saiyans, a step beyond. From that look on your face, I'd say that the reality of the situation has finally dawned on you."

Kui was stammering, his mind turning rapidly to find a way out of this situation, "V-vegeta wait, we don't have to be enemies! Yo-you're strong, strong enough to beat Zarbon and Dodoria for sure! If we team up, we could take down Freeza, we could rule the Universe."

Vegeta began to advance, his smirk downright lethal, "Sorry, but you're not strong enough to bother forging an alliance with. Besides, I can't have my reputation ruined by my underlings knowing of my defeat."

Kui froze, full panic on his face. Suddenly his eyes widened, not at the sight of the imposing Saiyan Warrior, but from what approached him from behind. Kui snapped a salute, "Ah, Lord Freeza!"

Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise as he turned towards the little emperor, only to be greeted by blue grass and an empty plain.

Kui struck fast, an eruption of purple energy exploded towards Vegeta as the alien hightailed it out of there, taking to the skies as fast as his body would move, "Going somewhere?"

Vegeta appeared below the alien, bringing his foot to rest in Kui's guts, arresting his breath and progress in one sudden motion. The agony was unbearable, leaving him defenseless as Vegeta continued to pummel him. With a hammer blow, Vegeta smashed Kui into the ground creating a crater to rival even the hottest of entries from a space pod.

Kui wasn't even allowed to get to his feet. Vegeta grabbed his arm, and much like he did with Nappa months ago on earth, he flung the alien into the sky a yell of pain erupting from his victims lungs, "VEGETAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Vegeta focused his power to his index and middle finger, before the thrusted them at Kui. The being exploded in a spray of smoke and burning flesh that rained down onto the world below. No one was there to mark the end of Kui, Vegeta had already left.

* * *

Gohan and Krillin crawled towards the ledge of a small cliff that overlooked a Namekian village, trying to keep themselves hidden as they watched the events unfold as the invades interacted with the locals. They were late to the party, several Namekians laid slain on the ground, the soldiers standing arrogantly around them as the horned creature sat and laughed, "Oh my, you Namekians are quite rude. It seems that on this backwater of a planet that you've never heard of the great Lord Freeza. You see, I've traveled all this way to have a wish granted by the mighty Dragon Balls, and you folks seem hell bent on standing in my way. Though I can't imagine why, no one gets in my way for very long."

On the hill side they counted out the enemies. There were thirteen soldiers accompanying Freeza. Most of them had the same power level as the two scouts that Krillin and Gohan dealt with on arrival, but the two carrying Dragon Balls were on a whole different calibur, even surpassing Vegeta when he was on Earth.

One had flowing green hair, pulled into a ponytail. He could have passed for human, save for the green tint to his skin. He looked like one of those models that Gohan had seen Bulma ogling in a magazine, but there those smiles were friendly and confident. This creature's smirk oozed arrogance, mockery, and a promise of pain.

The other was a pink creature with bulging spikes on its forearms and head. Even at a glance, his aura exuded his cohorts, he was smirking at some hidden joke, purple rings around his eyes and lips emphasizing his yellow teeth. The way his mouth seemed to water at the sight of the dead Namekians made the Earthlings skin crawl.

There were only four Namekians left, two older men with worn wrinkled skin, and two young both about the same age as Gohan. One of the elder's spoke, "You're a monster, callus and cruel. The Dragon Balls should never be used by those with evil in their heart!."

Freeza cackled, his men joining him as they laughed at their victim's plight, "Philosophy and morality are so droll. What does right and wrong matter if you're not strong enough to enforce it?" Freeza's grin twisted into something dangerous, "If I'm such a monster, then why deny me? I'm giving you a chance to surrender, to comply with my requests and be left in peace, and yet you insist on resisting, in fighting. And what do you have to show for it but more dead? If you ask me, you're the evil ones."

The other elder scowled and spit on the ground, "Your twisted words hold no sway over us. We'd rather die than-" A beam of energy pierced the Namekian's chest, purple blood leaking from the wound and soon his mouth as he fell over, dead.

Gohan felt his heart jump in his chest at the sight. He didn't realize he was clenching his fists until Krillin put a firm hand on his shoulder, bringing his attention to the monk who shook his head. He swallowed his anger and nodded his head, turning back to the gruesome display.

Freeza laughed, "See, mercy. I didn't need him to spell it out for me, I gave him a noble death in the face of what he thought was oppression. But he was a little too eager wasn't he? After all, he volunteered your lives too," Freeza held up his index finger, a small purple gleam on the end of his finger which was slowly pointing towards the group of terrified green men, "I suppose I'll just take him up on that offer and have my men search the village."

The emperor was interrupted by his scouter jumping to life as three energies closed in at high speed. Surrounded by a white aura, three Namekians touched down, face marred with frowns as they eyed the invaders and surveyed the damage. Gohan couldn't help but grin at their arrival. They were stronger than they were letting on, their expressions glum as they eyed their fallen before hardening their glare onto those responsible.

Krillin however was not optimistic about their chances, "No, they should have just surrendered," he whispered.

"What do you mean? They have to protect themselves, we could help."

"Absolutely not! They're too strong. Even if we all fought and beat the soldiers, those other two guys are unlike anything we've ever faced. They're stronger than Vegeta was on Earth, and we haven't even closed that gap yet."

"But-"

"And even if we did manage to get those guys down. That Freeza guy is on a whole different planet compared to us. He could wipe us all out with a finger, but he seems sadistic enough to draw it out."

Gohan scowled, "So we just watch? You said it yourself, they don't stand a chance. Those guys won't stop till they have the Dragon balls."

Krillin couldn't hide his frustration, even as he turned back to watch, "I know, but we need to see what we're dealing with. Those guys are warriors, they didn't come here expecting reinforcements. They can feel their power, they probably have some kind of ace up their sleeve or a plan. All we can do is wait and see."

Freeza was intrigued by their arrival, "Oh, more guests. What brings you fine lads to this village? I'm sure it's not the food or drink, we've not been offered a single refreshment!"

One the Namekian's snarled,"You savages, we're here to put an end to your atrocities and make you pay for those you've killed."

The emperor laughed, "Atrocities? Why, this is just a small misunderstanding. We can change that, if you'd like, but I think you'd rather avoid it. All I need is the Dragon Balls, once I make my wish, I'll leave your quaint little planet behind."

"We'll never surrender our treasure to such an evil creature! No matter how many of us you kill, you'll never get your wish!"

"Its funny, the last four villages said the exact same thing. That was after they denied having a dragon ball, followed by my men persuading them to remember where they stored it," Freeza sat back in his seat and smiled, "I thought we were past this, but clearly this particular village has no small amount of stubbornness. Perhaps seeing their warriors dead on the ground will loosen their tongues."

The pink alien cackled, "You heard Lord Freeza, kill these scum!"

With a yell, the Freeza force charged into battle, assured of their victory by the weaker power levels. They did not, however, expect the Namekians to be able to increase their power at will. The resulting clash was over in nearly an instant, the soldiers were dead before they could change tactics or really come to grips on what was happening.

The Namekians grinned, "We're not as weak as you think. Leave the Dragon Balls and leave before anyone else gets hurt!"

Freeza sighed, "You would think they would have learned by now, these creatures clearly have some level of control over their powers."

The green and pink alien looked turned towards one another, "It's your turn this time, Zarbon."

The green alien, Zarbon, chuckled, "Actually, you're up this time Dodoria."

"What? I handled it the last time, it's your turn."

"True, but you're forgetting about that little skirmish that we had on the way over."

Dodoria groaned and set down the Dragon Balls, "I did forget about that," Walking towards the Namekian Warriors, Dodoria twisted his head with a satisfying pop. As he closed the distance, the same sadistic smirk turned feral, "Well, you seem like the strongest. Guess that means you're first in line."

"You won't-" the threat never left his lips.

With blinding speed, Dodoria was behind the Namekian, and with a single thrust, punctured his hand through his chest, "Heh, you were saying?" He removed his hand drawing an overwhelming amount of bodily fluid from his victim. Without the strength of his opponent to hold him up, the dying Namekian feel onto the grass, his body twitching before falling still.

The other warriors were horrified at the sight, but they're resolve was clear. With a yell, they charged the pink monster, intent on finishing this fight. Dodoria met them in a clash of limbs, moving faster to keep them at bay. They pressed him for a moment, but the gap was too wide.

Rather than block, Dodoria took a punch to the face without so much as flinching and instead reached out with his meaty hand to grip his opponent's was a slow cracking sound, before a punctuating crunch signaled the end of yet another warrior.

"Pop goes the weasel, muwhahahahaha!"

"Y-you monster. I might die-but you won't get away with this. The guardian will deal with you, mark my words!"

Dodoria grinned, "Guardian? I wonder, what does he taste like?"

A beam of energy sailed across the plane and struck the Pink alien right on his scouter. Shocked, Dodoria turned to find that one of the elder Namekian's used the massacre of a fight ot make his move, blasting all the remaining scouters including Freeza's and Zarbon's,

"There, now you won't be able to find any more villages!"

Dodoria snarled, "Fool, that will be your last mistake!" The monster turned to advance on the elder, but the last warrior was not to be ignored. He kicked the pink alien in the side of the head, sending him tumbling through one of the empty houses. Turning to his kin he screamed, "Get out of here, now!"

"Too late for that," Dodoria was already on his feet and in front of the warrior. The green fighter froze in fright. Dodoria grabbed both of his wrists and pulled the warrior in for a savage headbutt. He was dead by the time he hit the ground. The children clutched their horrified elder in fear, shaking at their seemingly inevitable death.

Freeza growled, "A waste of time and resources, all that managed to accomplish was to erode what little patience I had left. And your little stunt with our scouters, my property, has left me annoyed. Dodoria-"

"W-Wait," The elder nodded at one of the children who ran inside a house to their left. A moment later, the child emerged with a Dragon Ball, waddling over to his elder who took it from him, "Here, take the ball and leave us. There has been enough death."

With a thought, the ball was levitated from the elder into Freeza's possession, "Finally, you've seen reason. Now, seeing as you've destroyed my property and left me without a way to locate the other Namekians, I'll have to ask you to point me in the direction of the nearest village."

The elder was shocked at the request, but his shock quickly morphed into displeasure, "Never, that was not part of the agreement!"

The tyrant sighed, "Dodoria."

The elder didn't even have time to inhale before a pair of pink hands twisted his neck, breaking it and dropping him to the ground. The two children began backing away, before he turning to run full force, "Lord Freeza?"

"Do what you please."

Smirking, he raised his hand and watched in delight as a beam of energy pierced one of the running children in the back. He crashed, rolled, and fell still.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Everyone turned to find Gohan, eyes red with power and furry as the source of the primal scream. He vanished from view, appearing before Dodoria and smashing his foot into his abdomen, "Guwaahh," an uppercut lifted him off of his feet, breath wheezing as his head snapped up. Gohan finished his attack with a beam of yellow energy that enveloped the alien as it sent him rocketing towards the green ocean.

While Gohan went on the offensive, Krillin was on the move. He moved to first check on the downed child, confirming what he already knew, before moving to grab the other child who had stopped to watch the engagement, "Gohan, let's go!"

The trio took to the sky at full speed in the opposite direction, abandoning stealth in favor of outright fleeing. Moments later, the ocean erupted into a shower of water, Dodoria breaking the surface in a rage, "You little punk!"

"Dodoria!"

The enforcer instantly stilled at the angry bark of his master, "After them you buffoon, I want them alive." He offered a single finger in the direction that they fled.

"Y-yes lord Freeza." Dodoria purple aura burst to life as he took off after the Earthlings, eager to get revenge, and unwilling to suffer his master's disappointment.

* * *

Gohan felt his heart in his throat. He knew he'd messed up. Revealing their position and attacking the pink brute was not what they had set out to do. Gohan was able to look past the death of the warriors, he knew the risks and so did they. He was even able to look past the defiance of the elders. They made a choice, and while Gohan could identify with their courage, it was still a choice they made and consequences they would suffer. But the children….the children he could no stand idly by.

He spared a glance at Krillin, but the monk was focused on escaping the danger that his actions had put them in. He was about to apologize, but he felt a familiar power approaching, "Krillin, he's coming after us!"

The monk scowled and looked back, "Dam, he's fast! We're not going to be able to outrun him at this pace!"

"I can fight him. He's strong but he doesn't seem skilled or smart, I can take him."

"You're right, but I'm fighting him. You're not ready yet," He looked down at the scared child that was clinching to him in fear. He shifted closer to Gohan, "Here, take our new friend and stay back, I'll take care of it."

Gohan took the Namekian into his arms as he watched Krillin turn and stop to face their aggressor falling to the ground and taking cover behind a small rock formation. The alien came speeding into view, snarling at the human and looking around for the others.

"So, you're the only one with the guts to face me? Well that's fine, I'll just have to beat the other twerps information out of you!"

Krillin grit his teeth as his power began to raise, "Bring it on, you tub of lard!" Krillin had come a long way since his fight on Earth, but this creature was still stronger than he was by a big enough margine to matter. However, Krillin watched his fight with the Namekians and saw plenty of holes in his defenses and waste in his movements, _'He's a strong fighter, but a weak martial artists!'_

Snarling with rage, Dodoria charged the human with bad intentions, but Krillin was prepared. He wasn't fast enough to slip a punch, but because the alien telegraphed the attack, the monk was able to parry the blow, spinning outside of the alien's guard instead of slipping closer. With a spin, he slammed his elbow into the side of Dodoria's head hurting the creature, but also allowing Krillin to create some space between the two of them.

Enraged, Dodoria continued his assault but found that he was unable to land a blow yet he was always on the receiving end of the monk's attacks. Krillin was surviving by the skin of his teeth, but made it look easy. He never blocked an attack, he wasn't strong enough to resist anything straight up, but he could interrupt his attacks or parry them. While his own attacks didn't carry nearly as much impact, they still hurt and all the added movement would eventually wear him down.

Gohan watched the fight in awe. He'd thought that he would have to go help his companion and he was prepared to intervene at a moments notice. Instead he was treated to a heart stopping sight of pure martial arts skill. Krillin always seemed to act at the last possible second to avoid death and deal damage. He moved where he wanted and made sure that the alien was always chasing after him, _'He's controlling the battle. That alien is faster and stronger, but he can't land a hit because he's so sloppy. Anyone with a brain knows what he's going for.'_

The battle was going well, but Krillin knew that it could change in an instant. He was walking the razor's edge, each engagement took 100% of his focus to come out on top. One little slip up, and he'd be taking a dirt nap, or worse. Krillin landed a snap kick to the alien's side, but was brought up short when he felt another energy approaching, _'Shit, its Vegeta. We've gotta get out of here, there's no way we can take. Especially if they work together!'_

Krillin tried to think of a way out. He didn't have a finisher that could guarantee his victory, but he did have a borrowed technique that might work, _'Good thing this planet has 3 suns.'_ He shifted his stance and smirked, "Time to end this, fatty!"

Dodoria eyes were red with rage and frustration, "I'll kill you, you little bald shrimp!" With another reckless charge, he moved to close the distance between them which is exactly what Krillin was counting on. With eyes wide open, he had no way of protecting himself, "Solar Flare!"

The glare of the sun reflected off of Krillin's head enhanced by his energy, blinded the charging alien who was forced to stop as he screamed from the shock to his eyes. Krillin dropped without a word, taking to the hills as he and Gohan leapt across the landscape with their new found companion in arms.

When Dodoria's vision cleared, his opponent was long gone, "Grrrr YOU INSECTS?! DON'T THINK YOU'VE ESCAPED, LORD FREEZ-" a fist smashed into his face, plowing him down into the ground with substantial force. Unlike the last few hits he had taken, this one carried quite a bit of power behind hit. Standing, he brushed himself off and looked at the offender, "Che, Vegeta. You've got some nerve striking me."

Standing before him was indeed the prince of all Saiyans, a triumphant smirk on his face, "Well well well, if it isn't Dodoria, the pink menace. I think it's time you and I had a little heart to heart."

END

* * *

Authors note:

I hope ya like the changes! I tried to keep it reasonable, like them having an actual plan of attack once they realize they're clustered with the whole Freeza situation. I mean, they've shown in the cannon that you can clearly sense energy signatures big enough approaching the planet. Seems plausible to me that Krillin being the more cautious of the trio, would at least feel out to see what Namek has going for it.

Next chapter should take care of Dodoria and Zarbon, as well as build us up towards the Ginyu Force.

If you could kindly leave a review, I'd appreciate it.


	13. Chapter 13

Goku landed at Capsule Corp with a grin as he walked towards the massive spaceship that Dr. Briefs had constructed, brown bag filled with senzu beans on his hip. After what felt like an eternity he was finally up and active, no longer bedridden unable to move or train. Master Roshi just so happened to come around the same time that Korin delivered the beans, brining news that the ship was nearing completion and that an update on his friends and family on Namek.

Goku couldn't lie, he was worried about his friends and the danger they faced. But he was also excited at the chance to fight new foes, and a rematch with Vegeta. It was because of these foes that he hoped that Dr. Briefs had installed a gravity machine. While he still had much to learn regarding martial arts, his training on King Kai's planet had proved beneficial due to the increased gravity. He was hoping the trend would continue.

"Ah Goku, right on time," Dr. Brief's walked down the ship ramp with the same easygoing expression he always seemed to possess, "I just finished installing the radio and calibrating the cappuccino machine. She's all set for the journey to Namek, I even managed to incorporate the engine design from your pod, you'll get there in just shy of a week."

"Hey Dr. Brief's that's great! Does the gravity machine work? I'm going to need to train harder than ever if I'm going to be ready for what's waiting for me on Namek."

Dr. Brief's patted him on the shoulder with a laugh, "Oh yes, that was the easy part. The machine can simulate up to 100x Earth's gravity. From what Master Roshi told me, you trained under 10x Earth's gravity before, so 100x should be a worthy goal."

Goku grinned and waved his farewell as he boarded the ship, it didn't take long for him to follow the instructions, and soon he was blasting off into space.

* * *

Dende watched this aliens with both fear and fascination. He knew that they were not with the other aliens, they risked their lives to save him after all, but that didn't mean that they didn't have other motives. And while he felt shame at doubting the intentions of his saviors, the recent attack on his village, no his whole planet, did little to reward positive intent. They finally touched down in a cave, looking over their shoulder to make sure they weren't followed, Dende could only wonder what they had in store for him.

Gohan held his breath as he continued to watch the skyline, searching for any sign of pursuit. He could feel Vegeta and the other Alien, Dodoria near one another, but so far neither had powered up. He wasn't sure what to make of that, and judging from the scowl on Krillin's face, the monk didn't know either.

The toddler turned to the namekian child, "Hi, I'm Gohan."

"Dende…"

"Dende, are you okay? That was a close call."

The alien child looked down, a few tears glistening in his eyes, "I'm fine..but my village. I'm the only one left.."

Gohan didn't know what to say to that. He'd seen a lot of death and violence in his short life, but it had been between warriors on the field of battle. What he saw earlier wasn't a battle but a massacure, an outright murder of innocents.

"I'm sorry, no one should have to lose their family like that." He didn't know if it was enough, but it was all he had. Krillin introduced himself to Dende, explaining their presence and mission, "That's about it. We didn't know there would be anyone else looking for the Dragon Balls, let alone a ruthless army."

Dende nodded sadly, "Yes, they arrived about a day ago. We could sense them, but before the elders could come up with a plan they attacked, killing most of our warriors with ease."

Krillin was sullen, "These guys are more powerful than we could have imagined. Your elder bought us some time, without those scouters they won't be able to track your energy. Is there another village we can take you? I'd like to speak with an elder about a plan."

"Our grand elder is the one who usually has the final say, but he's far away. There is a village closer, and it doesn't seem like they have been found," he pointed towards one of the setting suns, "It's that way."

Gohan and Krillin turned their senses towards where Dende was pointing and sure enough they could feel about twenty or so small power levels. The monk smiled, "That's not far at all, we can-"

"Krillin!"

Dende and Krillin turned towards Gohan who was no longer looking in the direction of the village, but behind them, where they had left Vegeta and the alien known as Dodoria. "He killed him. Vegeta killed that alien, I can't sense his power any more!"

Krillin frowned and then gasped as he felt the amount of energy the Saiyan was putting out, "And he's even stronger than he was on Earth. How is that fair? It took four of us plus all the energy from the spirit bomb just to chase him off. Even with what's left of the Namekian warriors we won't stand a chance."

Dende swallowed, "If-if he's killing those monsters, maybe he's on our side?"

The monk shook his head, "I doubt it, Vegeta is probably still after the Dragon Balls for his immortality. He doesn't care either way who he has to kill to get it either, we'd better avoid him. Dende, do you know how to fly?"

The namekian nodded, "Yes, we all learn very early."

"Good. Let's get to the village, with you here to explain it'll be easier to explain." The two minors nodded before taking to the sky, leaving the safety of the cave behind.

* * *

Freeza stood in his quarters, an unnecessarily large spartan room with an equally large view-port that showed the Namake landscape that held his gaze. Behind him were his five dragon balls, glistening in the light. While his face was normally sporting a grin at someone else's expense, his face was now split due to his own desires to be fulfilled.

If the legends were true, then he was two spheres away from immortality, and with it an achievement that no one in his family would ever be able to top, ' _I'll expand my empire to the furthest reaches of the universe, bending all life to my will. Maybe I'll build factions and turn them against one another. The winners can have the pleasure of being destroyed by my hand.'_

A sinister laugh filled the room, interrupted by the swishing sound of his door opening, revealing Zarbon, "My lord, may I enter?"

"Ah Zarbon, what news do you bring?"

Zarbon stepped into the room and allowed the door to close, "My lord, the scouts have been deployed to find any other villages to ransack. They've been outfitted with some of the older transmitters, they won't be able to scan for power levels, but their locations are being tracked and plotted on our maps. Once they radio in, I will ensure everything goes according to plan."

The cold emperor smiled, "Good, that elder may have hampered our progress, but it doesn't matter. Has the communications team reported on Dedoria?"

The green haired alien swallowed, "Yes, My lord, but it is not good news. According to the ranged scouter, Dedoria was killed after encountering Vegeta."

Freeza allowed his smile to fall as he turned to face his right hand man, "Vegeta?"

Zarbon nodded, his face still on the floor, "I had them check twice my lord, it is the same power level that landed with Cui. It would seem that Vegeta has grown more powerful after his rebellious venture to Earth."

"I see." For a moment there was silence, but then Freeza simply shrugged, "Well, Dedoria could be rather sloppy when dealing with riff-raff. It was why he was caught off guard by those interlopers." Displeasure colored his voice as he turned his back to Zarbon and looked out the window, "Vegeta will try his hand at gathering the Dragon balls, of that I have no doubt. But it will ultimately prove fruitless."

Freeza allowed his tail to smash onto the floor, a sharp crack that made Zarbon flinch and the tyrant to smile, "Zarbon, I want you to go search for Vegeta. Bring him back alive, I wish to...speak with him. I won't tolerate any more delays. Should a scout report in, I'll go and collect the Dragon ball myself."

Zarbon stood, "Yes my lord, by your leave." Cape fluttering, the henchman turned to leave but was stopped by his master's voice, "Oh and Zarbon. Take care not to fail, I would hate to have my right and left hand replaced in the same week."

Zarbon didn't need to ask for clarification, the cold tone didn't leave much room for misinterpretation, "Y-Yes, my lord." With hurried steps, he departed the room, the terrifying cackle of his lord echoing behind him.

* * *

Elder Tsuno frowned, gripping his staff as his children surrounded him and the newcomers. When Dede arrived flanked by Krillin and Gohan, he had been suspicious, fearing it to be a ruse to allow them to lower their guard before being ambushed. But hearing the child's recollection of the fate of his brothers, brought a heavy sorrow to the hearts of all Namekians.

"Our number continues to dwindle, and now those monsters have claimed five of the sacred dragon balls. We must get to the grand elder, before we all suffer the same fate."

Krillin stepped forward, "With all due respect, what can the Grand Elder do that you guys haven't tried already? You said it yourself, you only have 3 warriors in the whole village. Even with Gohan and I, there's no hope of us taking down one of those henchmen, let alone Vegeta or that Freeza guy."

Tsuno shook his head, "The Grand Elder is wise beyond our understanding. He is a lone survivor from the old times, when we thrived in both power, arts, and technology. With his knowledge, it is possible we might find salvation."

"If you say so...but the Grand Elder is really far from here, right?"

"Yes, it would take us a few hours to fly to him."

"Then we-"

Suddenly Gohan vanished. Above them, a lone soldier sat, reaching up to turn on the transmitter strapped awkwardly to his back. Gohan's power surged as he appeared behind the unaware Freeza soldier and kick him in the back, causing the grey skinned creature to cry out in agony before a blast ripped his consciousness from his mortal coil in a blaze of energy.

Krillin was about to call out when he felt Vegeta's power spike as it began to rapidly approach them, 'Oh, you've got to be kidding!' Reaching for the transmitter in his ear, Krilling reached out to Bulma, "Bulma you've got to get the ship here now, we need an evac!"

There was a slight ping from the device before the scientist voice crackled through, "I'm on my way!"

Turning his attention back to the group of confused Namekian's Krillin informed them of the latest development, "I don't know if you sensed that, but we have to move now. Vegeta's scouter probably picked up that small battle, he's on his way!"

The Namekian's all began to murmur as they reached out to feel the sinister presence barrelling towards them. Elder Tsuno scurried into his hut, grabbing the four star ball from its resting place and returning outside. A moment later, a fierce wind descended upon them as a Namekian ship appeared a few feet away from the Village. To say that the Namekian's were shocked was an understatement. Here it was, a relic from a forgotten past that was both foriegn and familiar. The door opened, as Bulma's voice echoed out to them, "Somebody call for an evac?"

Krillin and Gohan escorted the Namekians onto the ship, their awe forgotten in their fear. It only took a few moments, once the door closed, they were in orbit within the blink of an eye.

* * *

Zarbon scowled as he flew about, head turning in search for his prey. He'd served the Frost family for decades, first as a soldier under King Cold, and then as an aide for Lord Freeza. But while Lord Freeza...more short tempered than his Father, his reign brought about the creation of scouters and with it an end to these blind searches that often took days to bear fruit. Of all the jobs to fall on a soldier, this one he hated no matter the scenario.

' _The last time I had to fly blind was the revolt on Cold world 342. Those dam Caelos were crafty, using the jungles to setup resistance bases. Had Lord Cold not already sold the planet, I would have suggested blowing it up from orbit and be done with it. But that option isn't on the table, not until Lord Freeza gets his wish from these accursed Dragon Balls.'_

The changeling had a feeling that he was going to be stuck performing the same routine task over dozens of routes, but luck was on his side. To his right, almost beyond his field of vision, was a white streak of energy plowing through the sky at rapid speeds, ' _Spiky black hair, Freeza force armor, either that's Vegeta or a soldier has found something interesting.'_

Not leaving it to chance Zarbon pursued a genuine smile on his face.

Vegeta started to wonder if he was a bit hasty in destroying his scouter. While the device could be a liability, one that Freeza could use to track his movements and the battle power of anyone it detected, it would also allow him to verify if he really had a handle of sensing energy, thus avoiding his current situation.

He was concentrating on sensing energy, when he felt a spike of power from this direction, if only for an instant. While he was headed towards it, the prince felt a multitude of smaller energies scrambling around before vanishing entirely. A grunt of effort increased his speed, bringing him over a village before he lowered himself to the ground and looked around.

The area was deserted, no sign of life from his vision or his senses, ' _This is maddening, I know I felt something here.'_ He fired a few blasts at the houses and blew them open, but there were no screams or shouts of terror. Only the sound of crumbling rubble and wind were his reward. The prince was about to call it quits, when he spotted a body behind one of the destroyed domes. He approached to find a dead Freeza soldier, body covered in burns and mouth open in agony.

Vegeta smirked, 'I was right, someone was here and they killed this worm. But where did they go?' He couldn't ponder for long, a pressure in his head brought his attention a new arrival with a high power level. Sure enough Zarbon touched down behind him, his gaze lingering on the damaged buildings before finally falling on Vegeta.

"The Prince of all Saiyan's, I see you've been busy."

"Zarbon, Freeza's favorite lapdog. I didn't think I'd be seeing you without Freeza holding your leash, it must be my lucky day."

Zarbon just smiled, "Not really. You see I've been tasked with bringing you to Lord Freeza. He wishes to speak with you, and you know he doesn't like to be kept waiting. So how about you come with me and we'll make this quick?"

"Ha! As if. You probably didn't notice since you don't have a scouter, but I'm much stronger than when we last met Zarbon. The pecking order has changed, I doubt there is anyone except Freeza who can best me on this planet. Dedoria found that out the hard way."

Zarbon brushed his bangs from out of his face, "Come now Vegeta, we both know that Dedoria was favored for his ruthlessness. His power was just high enough and his temperament amusing enough for Lord Freeza to make him an aide. He the brutish thug, and I the refined fighter, you can't hope to compare us."

Vegeta snorted in disgust before spitting, "You're both scum, sucking Freeza's toes while cowering beneath his heel. Well not I. Once I get my wish, I'll make sure Freeza dies by a Saiyan hand, just like he always feared."

"Oh not this tripe again. I don't know what you heard, Vegeta, but Freeza destroyed your planet because of your father's insolence, not some superstition. Now enough talk, you're coming with me, doesn't matter if it is willingly or unconscious."

Vegeta slipped into his stance, "Finally, I was beginning to think you were too scared for a proper fight. Let's see just how refined you really are when compared to a Saiyan Elite."

"I'll show you a power no Saiyan could hope to overcome."

Vegeta made took the initiative, vanishing from sight and appearing to the right of Zarbon who threw a punch to intercept him. He had not expected Vegeta to be that fast, but he was more surprised when the Saiyan caught his punch in an iron grip, "W-What the-"

"Don't tell me that's all?" The Prince threw the henchmen tumbling through the sky, laughing as Zarbon struggled to control his momentum. Finally the green haired alien righted himself, before extending his palm towards Vegeta and letting loose a powerful energy blast.

Vegeta stood tall, allowing the blast to grow closer before he deflected it with some effort, sending it veering behind him resulting in a massive explosion. Zarbon was stunned by what he saw leaving him open to as Vegeta appeared in front of him and scored a punch to the face, forcing him back.

Zarbon began his assault, throwing numerous kicks and punches with not success as Vegeta simply evaded without losing any space, "What's the matter Zarbon, where is that power you were bragging about? Not as refined as you thought?"

Angered, Zarbon through a haymaker but connected with nothing but air, and was rewarded with a foot in his abdomen, "GAaaaaaaah," He grasped his stomach in pain, but a flip kick from Vegeta sent him spiraling to the ground, forcing him to land on all fours. Zarbon looked back up, ready to throw a follow up blast, but Vegeta was nowhere to be found.

"Wh-where?"

"Too slow, fool!" Zarbon turned to see a smirking Vegeta behind him who drove his foot into his spine, sending him skidding across the ground where he struggled to stand. "Bahahah do you understand now, Zarbon? You're out of your league and I'm only getting started!"

Zarbon turned to Vegeta and wiped the blood from his mouth, "Amazing. You really have gotten stronger, Vegeta. I can see it wasn't just luck that allowed you to kill Dedoria, you have my complements."

Vegeta laughed louder, "Oh ho, so this is what it's like to be Freeza eh? Sucking up to the higher power level are we Zarbon? Well too bad, I'm not one to forgive and forget, you've had this coming for a long time."

It was Zarbon who laughed this time as his features took on a more sinister appearance, "Oh no Vegeta, I don't want either of those things. You see I lied earlier."

Vegeta paused as Zarbon got to his feet, "You see when I said that Dedoria was picked for his ruthlessness, I failed to mention that I can play both roles. You see, I can alter my appearance with a transformation. Not only do my features change, but my power level increases as well. I like this form because it is much easier on the eyes, yet when I found myself against a stronger opponent, I have no trouble reverting to my original form?"

Vegeta raised a brow, "So what? You're not the first I've encountered with this ability. Show me your true form so I can finish kicking you into dust."

Zarbon smirked, "With pleasure." The green alien began to gather his power, before he threw his hands in the air. With a horrible grunt, his body convulsed as his muscles and features began to bulge and shift. Where once stood the graceful alien with a somewhat charming face, was now a lizard like creature with a mouth full of teeth and slit yellow eyes.

Vegeta didn't care what he looked like, but the dramatic increase in power left him shaking in his boots. Suddenly Zarbon was in front of him, a fist buried in his stomach, "Aaaargh.."

"Hahaha oh Vegeta, don't black out yet. We're not done." Zarbon proceeded to pummel Vegeta, a vicious assault that knocked the Saiyan around as he tried to put up any form of resistance and failed spectacularly.

Vegeta managed to throw a single punch, hoping to gain some ground, but Zarbon simply grabbed his fist like Vegeta had done to him earlier, pulling him into a ruthless head but that broke his nose and forced blood into the air.

"Hang on Vegeta we're going for a ride!" Zarbon began to slam Vegeta mercilessly into the ground using his captured arm. Each slam elected a scream of pain from the prince, his body writhing in agony as the ground was littered with craters from each blow. At some point, his arm had become dislocated but Zarbon refused to let go. Instead, he hoisted the prince up in front of him, smiling with no small amount of glee, "Oh I would love to kill you Vegeta, but as I said, Lord Freeza wishes to speak with you. But allow me to deepen that sense of dread before you blackout from the pain. Lord Freeza is also able to transform, and the increase in power his well beyond my own."

Vegeta was slack jawed as he digested the meaning of those words. Zarbon cocked his arm back and smashed his fist into Vegeta's face, breaking his nose and sending him skidding across the ground and into the lake near the village face first, his body half way in the water. He tried to get back on land, but found a firm hand on his neck keeping his head down.

Zarbon laughed as Vegeta struggled to breath, holding him down until he finally stopped struggling, "Oh no you don't."

Pulling Vegeta from the water, Zarbon held him by the scruff of his neck, before he buried his fist once again into the Saiyan's solar plexus, forcing the water from his lungs with a violent cough and hacks. Each breath was agonizing, but the pain meant he was alive and finally able to breath. Vegeta got one last look at Zarbon's grinning face, before another punch sent him into unconsciousness.

* * *

Following directions from Elder Tsuno, Bulma brough the ship back into the atmosphere near a curiously shaped structure. It was a tall pillar of rock that stretched high into the air, and on top a single house could be seen. It wasn't big enough to land on, so Bulma had to put the ship down at the base of the structure.

Tsuno turned to his people and spoke in Namekian before turning to address Gohan and Krillin, "Come, the Grand Elder awaits us."

Bulma opened the door, but noticed that the other Namekians weren't leaving, "Hey wait, what am I supposed to do with them? Aren't they going with you?"

Tsuno shook his head, "The Grand Elder's place is sacred, and usually reserved only for those on their pilgrimage. Under these dire circumstances, I have brought them here, but they must wait. Please, can you house them just a while longer?"

He stepped forward and placed the Dragon Ball into Bulma's hands, "We owe you a great debt for saving us, one that I cannot hope to repay. The Dragon Ball is our most sacred treasure, and all that I have to offer. I know that with you, it shall not be abused for evil's sake."

Bulma accepted the ball with no small amount of grace, "Thank you. Wow, they're so much bigger than the ones on Earth." As a scientist, she wondered if their size meant that they were somehow stronger.

Satisfied, the three left the ship and flew to the top of the mountain. There the found two power levels, one of which stepped out of the house to reveal a Namekian that bore a striking resemblance to Piccolo. Tsuno greeted him in Namekian, before the stranger turned to Krillin and Gohan, "Greetings, my name is Nail, protector of the Grand Elder. I thank you for saving my brethren, you've given us a small amount of good news in grim times."

Gohan couldn't help but compare his power to Nail's, "Y-You're so strong! You could take Vegeta and those henchmen no sweat!"

Krillin nodded, "Yeah what gives? Why didn't you go to help your family?" Nail lowered his eyes and frowned as his fist tightened. Tsuno walked over and placed his hand on the arm of the taller Namekian, "It is because Nail cannot leave the side of our Grand Elder. He alone is tasked with his safety. I know he would have liked nothing more than to leap into battle to defend us, but the Grand Elder must be protected at all costs, even if it means our lives are lost in the process."

Gohan and Krillin looked subdued, while Nail returned the gesture, "Still, to think that Lord Guru almost lost his first son. He cares for all his children, but you would be a loss I don't think he could live through. Come, he waits for us."

* * *

Master Roshi sighed in nostalgia as he watched the sign ups for the 24th annual Tenkaichi Budokai. Six years had passed since the last tournament, and while they had to push it back another three years to rebuild after the climactic battle between Goku and Piccolo, it didn't seem to deter anyone from coming to test their mettle.

A small part of him though of participating, to reclaim the title of world's strongest, but he knew it was a false praise. He had long since dropped out of the top five strongest on the planet, surpassed by his pupils as well as a few others who could easily topple the competition. He wouldn't have even bothered watching were it not for the new junior division that was being added.

He'd given a lot of thought to training after working with Gohan. Even though he was nowhere near as powerful as the youthful child, he still held a wealth of experience to offer, and a burning desire to contribute to the defense of the Earth, 'If all goes well on Namek, then the gang will be revived, but it's time to raise another generation of fighters.'

The world was at peace. The Red Ribbion was gone, the Demon King Piccolo vanquished, but there would always be a new threat on the horizon. Master Roshi would mold another fighter, to prepare the future for whatever disaster would unfold. The junior division was the perfect place to scout out a new student, someone who could take up the Turtle school mantel.

The tournament would start tomorrow, for now, he would have to wait.

END

Woosh it has been a while. Like, a long while...Like a reaaally long while. Sorry. I'm going to be introducing a OC into the mix as Master Roshi's student. Don't worry, they'll alter things a bit, but he/she won't be some super prodigy that can instantly keep up with SSJ Goku. They will have a part to play, and some techniques that might surprise you.

As always let me know what ya think.


	14. Chapter 14

The Grand Elder, also known as Guru, was the biggest creature Gohan had ever saw and that was counting his grandpa, the Ox King. He was definitely Namekian, but his skin was a much darker shade of green than his children, the pink patches on his arms a faded yellowish color. He sat on a throne of sorts that didn't seem to mind the enormous strain that the giant creature must have exerted onto it.

Gohan and Krillin could do nothing but stare as Tsuno and Nail greeted the grand elder, the former walking forward to give the giant an awkward but loving hug. Neither of the Earthlings was sure of what the conversation was about, only that their names must have been mentioned at some point, as the grand elder addressed them directly.

"Krillin and Gohan of Earth, I am Guru, the eldest Namek. Thank you for saving my children. I have witnessed your kindness and your struggle, truly you are a welcome friend in these dark times."

Krillin stepped forward and swallowed, "Your welcome, Lord Guru. We couldn't just sit around and let this happen, but I'm afraid we don't have many options. The leader of these soldiers, Freeza, is much stronger than anything we've ever encountered, not to mention there is another party, Vegeta, who also wants to obtain the Dragon Balls for his own gain."

Guru smiled, "You are very kind, but it wasn't just kindness that brought you to us. My son has told me you also seek the Dragon Balls, is this true?"

Krillin nodded, "Yes, we came after a great battle claimed the lives of many of our friends. We were hoping to use your dragon balls to revive them."

Guru grunted, "Please come to my side."

Krillin hesitated before walking to the right side of the elder. The giant placed his palm onto his head before a rush of energy washed over him. Guru smiled, "I see, so the son of Katas lived. To think that he would purge the evil from his heart in such a similar manner." Guru reached above his head, and for the first time Krillin noticed that indeed the one star ball was resting at the top of the throne before it was plucked from its perch and given to the Earthling, "Your intentions are pure, you may have our dragon balls for your wish."

Gohan cheered as Krillin took the ball with a smile, "Thank you Guru, you won't regret it."

The elder's smile softend, "You are welcome, although I have grave news. The one known as Freeza already has five of the dragon balls, this you already know, but worse, he has his people looking for us soI am not long for this world. I can feel my life force slipping away, at most another week is all I have. Once I am gone, the balls will turn to stone, never to be used again."

Krillin frowned, "Another week? You have to hold on, Goku will be here soon and I know he'll be a big help to get the dragon balls from Freeza somehow."

Guru kept his silence for a spell before speaking again, "Very well. There is one more gift I can offer," His hand still on Krillin's head, Guru sighed before the monk gasped, his power flaring to life around him instinctively.

The Earthling was in awe as he stepped back from Guru, "This...this is amazing! I feel incredible, where did this power come from?"

"It is your latent power, I simply brought it to the surface."

Gohan was estatic, "Wow Krillin, you're about as strong as that pink alien that was chasing us!"

Krillin smiled, "Can you release Gohan's power as well?"

"Of course, it is no strain or bother. Come closer, young one." Gohan took Krillin's spot and stood tall as the Namekian placed his hand upon his head.

Guru frowned as he searched the boys power, 'I see. The blessings of old are fading away, his power is mixing with it, diluting it. There is something more, a depth even my powers cannot peirce.'

Gohan was beginning to get nervous when nothing happened, but before he could bring forth a question, he felt his aura flare to life as his power began to deepen, "Wow, this is incredible!" His elation turned to confusion as all at once his power vanished and in its place a dark green aura began to raise from his skin in a more controlled manner like liquid tendrils that broke off and faded into nothing as they left the boy.

Krillin and the Namekians were speechless, "What the heck is going on? I can't sense Gohan's energy at all, what's with that weird aura? And your eyes, they're green!"

Sure enough Gohan's eyes had turned bright green, "I'm not sure, I've never felt anything like this."

"I have restored a portion of your blessing, young one," The grand elder spoke with a sigh as he returned his hand to the throne.

"I didn't know I had a blessing," and then after a pause, "Do you mean my Ox Power?"

Guru nodded as the rest of the room turned their attention to the elder, "You have known it as such, but it is blessed ki, a divine gift given to your ancestors by a God. The blessing had almost faded completely, leaving a warped type of energy that was starting to mix into your regular ki. Luckily, we Namekians have a similar type of blessing gifted to us from long ago, only I have retained it. It is this blessing along with my own experience that allowed me to restore your blessing and seal the breach. It is not as potent as it was when gifted by the gods, but it will have to do."

Krillin examined the half-saiyan with a critical eye, "It's unreal, I can barely feel your energy, but there is a weird pressure coming from you. How do you feel, kid?"

"I feel great, it's nothing like when I used it before. I had to fight for control over my power from going berserk and attacking anything around me, but now I'm calm and in complete control."

"Can you still power up with your normal power?"

Gohan closed his eyes and tried to gather his energy, he could feel it, but it was like drawing water from a deep, deep well. As it drew closer, the green aura slowed and the pressure began to fade. Once it was gone completely, Gohan's ki burst forward, shooting past his old maximum and climbing higher until it finally stopped.

Gohan opened his eyes, "I think this gives me just enough power to take on Vegeta."

Krillin smiled and shook his head, "Don't get cocky, you're plenty strong, but who knows what tricks he's hiding. Besides, we still have to worry about Freeza."

"Be cautious, young one," Gohan turned to the elder whose voice was laced with worry, "Your biology is unique, never has a saiyan and human union existed, let alone one with a blessing such as yours." Guru paused as if choosing his words carefully, "While I was able to unlock a portion of your potential alongside your blessing, I do not know what effects it has had on you, nor was I able to see who it was beyond the door or what became of them."

Gohan's jaw dropped open, "Y-you saw it too?"

Guru nodded, "Yes, from your memories. Your feelings and their effect are a part of you, but how so I am unsure."

Gohan swallowed, 'I'll have to be careful when using my power, I can't afford to lose control here.'

Krillin cleared his throat, "I'll bet they'll find this place before long, he really wants those Dragon Balls. I think we should move you Guru, we can go into space and just wait for Goku."

The eldest Namekian smiled sympathetically, "I'm sorry, but I've lost the ability to move long ago. I fear this will be my final resting place". Nail stood solemnly beside the Elder and gave a nod, "I won't leave him alone, my duty is until death."

Exchanging a look, Gohan and Krillin made up their minds, "Then it looks like we're staying too. We can keep a ball here, just in case we have are discovered, but send Bulma and the others back into space."

Krillin continued, "We shouldn't all stay here. Gohan and I can go cause some trouble for his scouts, maybe give them a false trail to follow."

Slowly a plan formed to harass the Freeza force in an attempt to buy time.

* * *

Vegeta was dimly aware of his presence in a healing pod. It was the only place he could be completely submerged yet still alive, after all. Keeping his eyes closed, he reached out with his senses to gauge his surroundings. The massive power that threatened to swallow his senses was definitely Freeza, and the peons that were scattered about his foot-soldiers.

It was hard for the prince not to frown. He was in the one place he didn't want to be, Freeza's ship, no doubt to be tortured and killed once the pod was done. He knew he didn't stand a chance of a direct confrontation with the tyrant, any attempt to fight back would be just for sport, a laugh for the soldiers as he toyed with the rebel.

Not one to go down without a fight, Vegeta tried to think of a way out, 'Freeza's ship is crawling with guards, but those are no problem. Zarbon was the only one capable of even coming close, and now that I'm healed, he won't stand a chance either. I can't have been out that long, they likely don't have scouters.'

If he killed the scum outside the pod, he could probably blow a hole in the ship and make a break for it. With no scouters, they'd have to search blind, Vegeta was certain he could slip the net. Freeza was likely in his room, he wouldn't be able to respond fast enough to catch him. That thought gave him pause, 'He's in his room with the Dragon balls….' A plan formulated, and it took all of his self control not to smirk, the result however was his body shaking in his confined space.

The attendant took it for pain, but Vegeta was fully healed. Snapping his eyes open, he was greeted with the surprised face of a purple alien with a long head, finally allowing himself to smirk, Vegeta ripped the mask from his face and pour energy into his outstretched hand, engulfing the soldier and blowing a hole through the closed door.

BOOOM!

Out of the pod, Vegeta had no time to lose. He burst through the smoke, amid panic and confusion of the Freeza force. Gathering his energy, he blew a whole through the roof, before racing down the hall, sliding into a room as a group of soldiers charged past. He could feel Freeza and Zarbon moving towards the commotion, 'That's right, go find the missing 'monkey' Freeza.'

The ship was easy enough to navigate, it was a giant circle, so it was almost impossible to get lost. Running past the control room and armory, Vegeta made eventually arrived at the massive door that lead to Freeza's quarters. He laughed as the door slid open, Freeza's arrogance would be his downfall, 'He never thought that anyone disturb him without cause, let alone steal from him.'

The balls were all plain site, sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, shining in the light. With a short laugh, Vegeta gathered his energy and shouted down the hallway, "Here you fools!" With a yell he allowed his energy to surge forward in beam, curving around the corner and colliding with a wall, and from the screams of pain, a few soldiers.

Wasting no time he followed up with a blast through the viewing screen, causing the dense plastic to melt into the form of a wide circle. Still laughing, he chucked the balls through, one after another they went sailing into the horizon to a destination relatively unknown to the saiyan but he could figure that out later, 'Freeza and Zarbon are close, time to go.'

Still smirking, he jumped through the hole, but instead of flying he sank under the surface of the water and began to swim away.

Freeza opened the door to his room and felt his blood boil. The window was punctured, no sign of Vegeta, and worst of all, his Dragon balls were gone, "That bastard! He got away with my Dragon Balls!"

Zarbon was shaking, both in fear and anger, "M-my lord he is still close, I can-"

"You will find him Zarbon. This is your fault, you should have known better than to leave him alone with just a low-class soldier to guard him."

"B-But my-"

Freeza's tail slammed onto the cold metal floor, denting it from the force that was matched only by the deadly glare he leveled at his subordinate. His voice was as cold as his namesake, "No excuses. You will find him, Zarbon, and you'd better make it soon." He left the consequences to his imagination.

Zarbon swallowed thickly, "Yes my lord." Aura flaring to life, he flew through the open hole made by his enemy.

Freeza didn't bother watching him depart. He turned his attention to the monitor and placed a call, it was time for reinforcements.

* * *

The World Martial Arts tournament was now in full swing. Yesterday was the preliminary matches for both the main tournament, as well as the junior division. With the addition of the new junior division came some changes. While the main tournament preliminary round was kept behind closed doors, the junior division was on full display, likely for parents and family members to cheer on their children.

Master Roshi watched the preliminaries not merely as a spectator, but with the appraising eyes of a Martial artist as 32 contestants where whittled down to just 8, ' _Although they weren't exactly fierce fights. Goku and Krillin would have wiped the floor with these kids if there was a junior division back then.'_

While a few of the competitors had some martial arts training, it was clear that none of them knew about ki manipulation. Roshi considered it a sign of the times, without the constant threat of an oppressive force, the fighters of this age seemed to decrease in skill. Then again, King Piccolo had likely been a factor. His reign, as brief as it was, left an impression. Instead of humans pushing themselves to challenge such a fearsome foe, they seemed to recoil and let others fight their battles.

' _Am I any different? All I could do was watch as the Saiyans challenged Earth's fighters, I didn't even bother showing up.'_ Roshi frowned as he pushed those thoughts out of his head, now wasn't the time for such musings. The crowd cheered as two semi-finalist entered the ring. There was a crackling from the PA system as the announcer, a young man with blond hair and sunglasses gave the introductions.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you're ready for a day filled with dazzling skills and intense matches as the last day of the World Martial Arts Tournament begins! We'll start by finishing the Junior division that started yesterday, before moving on to the Adult matches that will end the day!" The crowd roared in anticipation, hyped up by the ever present announcer.

"Now for our first match, to my left is Tashiro, the twelve yearold martial artists from the Dragon school. He's defeated each of his opponents without taking a single hit, and is favored to win the whole thing! He's the oldest remaining contestant, will he win the junior division before taking the leap onto the main stage?"

Tashiro was a tall, blond haired boy, with a green and gold gi accompanied by a confident smirk. He waved to the audience, who reacted with cheers and quite a few screams from adolescent girls.

"And to my right is Kuro, the six year old self taught fighter who used a lot of interesting techniques to take down his opponents. He's won every match with a ring out, and due to his long matches, has the highest fight time of the junior competitors."

Kuro, a short child with brown skin and dark red hair looked a bit shaken. Unlike his opponent, he didn't bother to acknowledge the crowd nor did he have a gi. Instead, he was in a pair of dingey gray shorts and a brown top, both of which had seen better days.

"Unorthodox techniques vs the fierce dragon form, older diligent student vs young scrappy fighter, short decisive wins vs long tactical fights, it's a match of opposites folks, but who will prevail?! The first match of the Junior division semi-finals, starts now!" At the announcer's declaration, the gong was sounded, the match began.

Tashiro gave his opponent a smirk, "Alright pipsqueak, let's make this quick."

The smaller boy didn't offer a response, instead he shifted his stance, ready for the fight.

"Too scared to talk? Whatever, let's send you home to mommy!" Tashiro charged at the smaller boy with bad intentions, throwing a punch to the gut to knock the wind from his opponent's sails. Kuro didn't bother sticking sticking around, back pedaling away from the larger boy in a comedic fashion. Tashiro kept pace with him, using a myriad of fists and kicks in an attempt to make contact with his squirly opponent. Kuro did his best to avoid his opponent, trying to zigzag and use the ring to keep out of harm's way but the older boy proved adept at cutting him off and limiting his range of movement.

As the fight continued, Tashiro kept up his assault, each blow narrowly missing yet allowed Tashiro to gain ground and keep Kuro off balance. Finally, kuro nearly missed a step and wobbled out of bounds as they reached the edge of the arena, finally cornered by the taller boy.

Tashiro grinned with glee, "Nowhere to run squirt!" The elder boy drew back his fist to knock Kuro from the ring, but in his haste he missed the small smile on Kuro's face. As the punch closed the distance, Kuro dashed forward, avoiding the fist and maneuvering behind the older opponent before delivering a kick to the back of his knee that caused him to buckle.

Now off balance, Kuro was able to easily ram his shoulder into his back and knock the bigger boy from the ring into the grass below. Tashiro looked up at the ring stunned before turning to the announcer who confirmed that it was a ring out, "After a sudden turn of events, Tashiro is out of the ring! Kuro advances to the next round!"

The crowd went wild at the victory. Kuro bowed to his opponent before retreating back to the safety of the waiting area, the turtle hermit watching him with an unreadable expression.

* * *

Goku swallowed a senzu bean, his body convulsing once as it seemed to shake off the damage and revitalize him. After three days in space, he'd managed to push himself to 80x Earth's gravity, a feat that was both impressive and to a point infuriating. Earth's champion knew that his enemies were fierce, the warning he received from King Kai regarding Freeza didn't bode well for his friends or family, but he couldn't lie, it was invigorating as well. The idea that there was a fighter that made Vegeta appear to be nothing more than a nuisance made his blood race.

He had two days left and two more levels to master, 'And 5 Senzu beans….I have to push myself if I want to succeed. I'll have to go all out.' Pushing the machine to 90x, Goku waited for the change before resuming his workout.

* * *

Zarbon hated this planet. After searching for two days, all of it lit by three suns, he could find no trace of Vegeta. Lord Freeza was furious, Zarbon could still hear his ultimatum when he reported his failure, _'You have until the Ginyu force arrive to find my Dragon Balls. If they arrive before you do, then consider yourself terminated.'_

It wouldn't be long before the Ginyu touched down. Zarbon had given up on trying to locate Vegeta, and instead joined the search to find a Namekian Village, _'Even if he has five dragon balls, he'll need the other two. If I find one before he does, then Lord Freeza might spare my life.'_

To make matters worse, several scouts had been killed as they searched for the Namekians but in vastly different places. At first Zarbon thought they were defending their homes, but after investigating the areas, but his experience conquering planets told him otherwise, 'They're aggressively attacking us, trying to keep us from somewhere, but where?'

Zarbon reviewed the reports of where his scouts were dying and the areas surrounding them. With a critical mind he examined the areas and came to the conclusion that there was an area to the north that seemed to result in death for anyone who broached that area. It was his diligence and cunning that brought him towards Guru's place, spying the giant mountain from just far enough to see the white building.

Gohan and Krillin stood outside of Guru's alongside the last four Namekian warriors Nail, Bunto, Masa, and Erasu. Each of them had been busy dealing with scouts, moving further out and eliminating them before retreating. It was good practice for both Gohan and Krillin whose new found power made them feel invincible, especially against the out classed soldiers.

Gohan had taken the opportunity to practice his technique against the fighters, trying to figure out just answer the questions that Krillin had posed to him some time ago, 'What's the best way to attack your opponent? How do you know what works?'

'I just don't get it. I attack when I see an opening, but what if there are no openings?' The five year old didn't have a wealth of experience and his opponents were either way stronger than him or vastly weaker which resulted in quick engagements with little time to reflect on.

When his thoughts turned to frustration, Gohan focused himself with mediation.

Whatever Guru had done, Gohan found that it changed his mental-scape. There was still a room filled with water and the walls got further apart, signifying his increase in power, but he could no longer see the floor. Instead, there was a deep dark abyss that lurked below him. But what really caught his attention was that the door leading to the whirlpool was gone. Just like before, when he tried to push deeper into the depths, he found himself in the waking world, his breathing labored. If the door was there, perhaps it was now beyond his reach, hidden by the depths.

He spent quite a bit of time in his mental-scape before he realized that above him was no longer darkness, but light. Curious, he swam up into the light and just like when he went too far into the dark, once he broke the surface he found himself awake. Only his Ox power surrounded him, the green aura signifying his change from normal energy. His ox power was hard to gauge, without the familiar feel of ki, he didn't know how strong he was compared to his opponent, but he could still sense them.

It didn't matter if he used his ki or his Ox power, the soldiers fell just the same.

They were getting ready to head out again careful to avoid the higher power level that was Freeza, but now they could all feel the alien they identified as Zarbon headed towards them.

Gohan grit his teeth, "I can fight him. I should be strong enough to take him down, and we can't let him get Freeza or its all over."

Krillin frowned, "I don't like it. If we fight, then its possible Vegeta or anyone else will feel the battle, we'll just be drawing more attention to ourselves."

Nail shook his head, "It doesn't matter anymore. Either we intercept or he comes here and we defend Lord Guru. In either case, we must fight no matter the risk."

"He's right, Krillin, we don't have a choice anymore," Gohan closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to reveal their green tint, "If I fight him like this, then at least they won't be able to sense me. I'll stop him as soon as possible."

Gohan took off towards the incoming fighter, leaving Krillin to sigh, "I can't let him go alone. You guys stay here, if the worst happens it'll be up to you to defend Guru." With a nod he took off after his friend.

Zarbon was brought to a halt as Gohan blocked his path, green aura rising from his skin. Zarbon frowned, "You again? You must be an ally to those Namekians. Tell me where they are and I might consider letting you live."

Gohan snarled, "I'd never tell you anything! You're a monster, laughing and taking delight in the murder of innocents!"

The green alien smirked, "That's exactly why you should tell me, what chance does a child have against a monster?"

Now it was Gohan who smirked, "Come on, then, I'll show you who the real monster is."

Zarbon responded by surging forward, intent on putting the boy in his place, but to his surprise Gohan not only intercepted his blow, but returned on of his own. The two continued to clash, neither landing a clean hit as they began zipping around the sky at rapid intervals. Gohan smiled as he slipped past a punch and buried his foot into the alien, following up with a hammer blow that sent him flying to the ocean below resulting in a huge splash of water.

Krillin arrived just in time to see the water settle, 'Man maybe Gohan is strong enough to take Vegeta, he just put that alien in his place.'

The water erupted once again, revealing an angry Zarbon, "Okay child, you've got some talent. I'd love to give you lesson and beat you slowly, but I'm in a hurry." With a snarl he focused his power causing his muscles to convulse, revealing the reptilian creatures true power and form. He gave a predatory grin as he took in the Earthling's reaction, "Now, lets try this again."

Zarbon closed the gap with his newfound speed, but Gohan simply met him in a clash of limbs. The results of the transformation seemed insignificant, Zarbon still struggled to keep up with the child, but as he took another punch the fighter began to realize something about his smaller opponent, 'He's quick to attack any opening, but he's not as skilled as he looks. Let's see how he handles a little misdirection.'

As they continued to trade blows, Zarbon began to throw in defensive feints pretending to be open. Gohan took the bait, moving to attack, only to be punched in the face by a punch that seemed to lash out from nowhere.

The boy snarled, and charged back in, but as the fight continued on, he found that his attacks were having difficulty finding the mark, much to Zarbon's delight.

* * *

Vegeta's eyes snapped open as he felt the familiar power of Zarbon begin to climb. He stretched his senses but he couldn't find another power to challenge him, 'What's going on? Zarbon shouldn't need to transform to deal with any Namekians, so why is powered up?'

Vegeta looked at his dragon balls set aside in the crevice, he didn't find any Namekians alive, just the remains of the Freeza force's destruction leaving the last two dragon balls up for grabs, 'Maybe Zarbon found a village with an actual warrior among them.' Vegeta stood and took to the skies, if Zarbon was fighting someone they either knew where the Dragon Balls were or where to find a village. In either case, he wasn't going to let this chance pass him by. With a push he gathered his power and rocketed towards the fight.

* * *

Gohan grunted as he blocked another blow from the transformed Zarbon. For all his strength and speed, Gohan was still a five year old up against a warrior who fought countless battles.

While he wasn't being overwhelmed by the older fighter, he was clearly outmatched in technique forcing the fight to drag on to a battle of attrition.

Zarbon smirked as the battle came to a lull, "Poor kid, you can barely hold on and you're only going to get weaker. Why not just give me what I need and go hide under a rock?"

Gohan tried to figure out what was going on. He knew he was fast enough to beat the alien, but the more the fight went on, the harder it became for him to land a hit. Growling he rushed back at his opponent attempting to overwhelm, the alien with sheer number of blows. Zarbon laughed as he defended himself. The increase in pace made the boy sloppy, and soon he was on the receiving end of Zarbon's assault.

Gritting his teeth as he forced himself to a stop from a punch that slipped his guard. Frustrated, Gohan went on the attack only to be forced to avoid a punch coming right at him, 'How did he get so fast? I should be able to beat him!'

Krillin watched the fight with a critical eye. Zarbon in his transformed state was a good deal stronger than him, and he suspected so was Gohan. But while Gohan was keeping up, he fell behind to the superior skills of the alien, 'He's got the kid read. He's presenting an opening to sucker him in then countering. If this keeps up, Gohan won't win.'

Krillin was reminded of the fight with Vegeta, watching with the spirit ball in hand, looking for an opening to exploit. While he didn't have a spirit bomb, he did have a wealth of energy. Once Gohan was on the attack, Krillin charged a beam and launched it at the alien's back. The blast collided, interrupting Zarbon's counter as it sent him lurching forward into the cocked back fist of Gohan who slammed it into his face with brutal force, "Arrrgh!"

Gohan gathered his power to finish the fight, he deliver a kick deep into the abdomen of his opponent, before uppercutting him into the sky. While Zarbon struggled to regain control, the boy launched his finisher, "Masenko!"

A beam of yellow energy sped towards Zarbon, who held up a hand to forestall the beam from engulfing him, but it was proving too much for the creature, who roared in defiance and pain. Finally he lost the battle, his arms blown back as the beam continued on, surrounding his body in light, "WAAARRRRRRRGHHHHHHHH….." and Zarbon was no more.

Panting, Gohan lowered his hands and released his power, "Thanks Krillin. I couldn't believe how fast he got after transforming."

Krillin shook his head, "It wasn't his speed, kid. You were stronger and faster than him, it was his technique that was beating you."

Gohan frowned, "What do you mean? Before he transformed I was winning."

"Gohan what was happening in the fight? Think about it. You still landed some blows after he transformed, but he started hitting you for some reason, what was it?"

"I don't know….I thought I had him plenty of times, but when I tried to hit him he would hit me before my attack reached." Krillin remained stoic while Gohan thought about the fight, 'Come on kid, you've got to figure this out.'

The monk was about to offer some advice when he realized a huge power was headed their way, "Oh dam it!"

"What? What's wrong Krillin?"

Frowning, Krillin turned his back to gohan and towards the streak of white that appeared in the sky, "Vegeta, he found us."

* * *

Kuro wiped the side of his face, frowning at the metallic taste of blood in his mouth as he picked himself up off the arena floor, "Looks like Kuro is back on his feet folks, but for how long can he hold out against the dominating opposition of Videl?"

The redhead looked to his opponent and fought to squash down his hurt pride, 'I can beat a kid twice as old, but all this trouble from a girl my own age.'

Kuro was used to being underestimated. He was smaller and younger than most. Combine that with his lack of formal training, his opponents saw him as an was an easy victory which allowed Kuro to fool them into fighting his way, leading to some long but easy victories of his own. But not Videl Satan.

Where other's charged him, she remained calm and approached him in a methodical fashion. She wasn't goaded into his pace, even when he retreated from the exchange, and her training made direct confrontations nearly impossible to win. In the five minutes since the fight began, he'd been downed three times and didn't land a single hit.

Now fatigued and sore, he once again ran towards Videl trying to goad her into a sloppy attack that he could take advantage of. Kuro threw a left hook that Videl swayed to avoid, followed by a straight that was parried to the outside with her arm, leaving Kuro inside to throw a right directly to her face. What happened next would be cemented in his mind for months to come.

Videl stepped in, turning to the side as she did so to both avoid the blow and get into Kuro's guard. With a small shift she caught his arm, twisted her hips, and executed a throw that landed Kuro on his back knocking his breath from his lungs.

The crowd went wild as the announcer once again started the countdown. Kuro struggled to get up, making it to his knees by the time the count reached six. He found his eyes on Videl who was smirking at him with her arms crossed, confident in her victory. Willing to continue, Kuro tried to stand, but his body was at its limit. He was still on one knee when the countdown reached 10.

"And that's it folks, Kuro is unable to continue and Videl moves on to the Finals to face the winner of the next match. Let's give a hand to both of our competitors for such a great fight!" The arena cheered and clapped, but Kuro was already on his feet, limping towards the exit with the help of one of the attendees.

No one seemed to notice a strange old man who slipped out of the crowd and leapt over the ten foot wall the blocked the preparation area with ease.

END

* * *

There you have it folks. I'm hoping you're all pleasantly surprised and excited for these new developments. Gohan now has two types of energy, and let me be frank, no it isn't exactly god energy, but I figured it can have some of the same capacity as God Energy. It likely won't lead to any new transformations, but I reserve the right to change my mind on that.

As I pointed out before, I'm more of a fan of skill and technique gives you a fighting chance against a person with a higher Power Level. Let's be honest, at this point, Gohan has been training for about a year and two months. He had a crash course training with Piccolo and the small amount of training with Roshi, it feels natural for him to be powerful but raw when it comes to technique, not some invincible fighter who can best anyone, even with his increased power.

It also makes sense that a fighter like Zarbon would have a deeper understanding of fighting. He's much older than Vegeta (thanks new broly movie), and has worked as an invader of worlds for quite some time. Even if he wasn't the most accomplished of fighters, having that much combat experience is sure to give you some strategies and insights.

Anywho, let me know what ya think.


End file.
